Imagine you are at a friend’s house. It’s getting late and it’s time to go. You could turn to your friend and say, “I’m going to leave now,” which of course would be a correct English sentence, but wouldn’t it be more exciting to use some colorful slang or an idiom? Of course it would! That’s why you came to visit Happy English today. For today’s English lesson, let’s look at five idioms and slang expressions that mean “to leave.”
- I’m going to head out. ← Head out comes from the old days of sailing. Head is used as a verb to mean “go in a certain direction.” So, when a ship left the port it was said that the ship heads out.
- I’m going to hit the road. ← Hit the road is a phrase made popular by the old jazz and blues singer Ray Charles. In addition to meaning “leave,” you can say hit the road to someone who is bothering you. Hit the road also has the meaning of “go away!”
- I’m going to shove off. ← Shove off is also from the boating world. Shove means to push and when the boat is ready to leave the dock, someone pushes the boat away from the dock. The shove the boat off the dock, so shove off means to leave.
- I’m going to ← Split generally means to divide something, but in casual English conversation and slang, split means to leave.
- I’m going to take off. ← Take off is the action of an airplane leaving the ground. We also use take off in slang to me to leave a place.
What time did you head out this morning? Do you need to spit now? Leave a comment below and let us know!
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Everything Your GRAMMAR BOOK Didn’t Teach You
Yes, your grammar book probably taught you the difference between during and while, but it probably didn’t teach you how we actually use those words in everyday English. This book does!
You’ll also learn how to really use phrases such as:
- By Friday and Until Friday
- In the end and At the end
- I’m bored and I’m boring
- Even if and Even though
- Just and Only
- Much and Many
- Stop doing it and Stop to do it…and so much more!
You’ll also learn how to use causatives, conditionals, frequency adverbs, modal verbs, articles, and prepositions.
It’s …Everything Your GRAMMAR BOOK Didn’t Teach You
Comments 8
Imagine you are at a friend’s house.
Author
Thanks a lot!
Yes, that's possible too. Thanks for sharing 🙂
could it be "By the time you get here this afternoon, I will have already headed out."?
Thank You!
This is better: "By the time you get here this afternoon, I will be already headed out."
By the time you get here this afternoon,I will be already head out.
thankx teacher !