Leg it
Meaning
To run away quickly, often to escape from a situation or person.
Origin
The phrase "leg it" burst into the English lexicon, particularly in Britain, during the late 19th century as a direct and urgent command for rapid flight. It strips away elaborate descriptions, focusing purely on the physical act of using one's "legs" to create distance. Picture a thief, startled by a watchman's cry, being told by an accomplice to "leg it!" or children frantically scurrying home to avoid a scolding. This crisp, almost staccato instruction perfectly captured the need for immediate, no-nonsense escape in the bustling, often chaotic environments of the Victorian era, cementing its place as a punchy synonym for running away.
Examples
- When the alarm went off, the teenagers decided to leg it before they got caught.
- Seeing the bus approaching, she had to leg it down the street to catch it.