🏠 Pulling Up Stakes: When It’s Time to Move On 🏃♂️
Definition:
To leave one’s residence, job, or country; to move on. This Americanism dates at least from the nineteenth century and may be older.
Origin:
It appeared in print in 1830 in the Massachusetts Spy: “Our emigrants pulled up stakes and returned post haste to . . . Springfield.” The stakes presumably were posts marking property boundaries.
Similar Terms & Synonyms:
- Pack up and leave 🎒
- Hit the road 🚗
- Move out 🏘️
- Relocate 🗺️
- Uproot 🪴
Related Idioms:
- “Cut and run” – to make a quick departure.
- “Get out of Dodge” – to leave a place, often quickly.
- “Drop everything and go” – to leave suddenly and quickly.
- “Break camp” – Originally referring to soldiers or campers dismantling their temporary lodging before moving on.
Common Phrases:
- “Time to say goodbye.” 🎤
- “On to greener pastures.” 🐄
- “Turn the page.” 📖
- “Changing lanes.” 🛣️
Antonyms:
- Settle down 🛋️
- Stay put 🛑
- Dig in 🚜
Humor-filled Quotes:
- “I was sad to draw the drapes and leave my apartment, then I realized: nobody else spoke to them anyway.”
- “Moving away from my Wi-Fi router—pulling up stakes just got serious!”
Literature, Books, Songs, Poetry, and Movies:
- Book: “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed – a journey, 5 stars of adventure and discovery.
- Song: “On The Road Again” by Willie Nelson – an ultimate moving-on tune.
- Movie: “Eat Pray Love” (2010) starring Julia Roberts - leaving and discovering oneself.
- Poem: “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost – symbolic choices and moving forward.
- TV Show: “Mad Men” - many characters exemplify ‘pulling up stakes.’
Fun Proverb:
“You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” – A reminder for action and change.
Trivia:
Did you know “pull up stakes” used to directly relate to settlers who would pull up their tent stakes as they moved on?
Indeed, the world is your oyster, or your stake, depending on where you hammer it down next. In future endeavors, let the line “home is where the heart is” navigate your movements, yet don’t forget that, making a move might just bring more heartwarming experiences.
Alexandra Quipsalot
