pull up stakes
Meaning: To collect one's household belongings and leave one's house or property; to move to another place.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Category: Daily Life
Origin: This express originated during the 1700s with pioneers moving westward through the United States seeking land to settle on. To claim a portion of land for themselves, the settlers would mark the boundaries of the land with stakes (wood). If they later decided to move and give up claim to the land, they would literally pull up the stakes marking the boundaries. It is often used to describe a sense of abandonment, of leaving one's land behind because one has fallen on hard times.
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