vamoose
colloquial verb

- leaving quickly

- to depart quickly

Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster

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WORD ORIGIN

"Vamoose" comes from the Spanish verb vamos, which means "let's go”. More specifically, it derives from vámonos, which is the first-person plural imperative form meaning "let's leave" or "let's get out of here".

The word entered American English in the mid-19th century (around the 1840s-1850s) through contact between English speakers and Spanish speakers in the southwestern United States, which was previously Mexican territory. This was during the period of westward expansion, the Mexican-American War, and the California Gold Rush.

The word underwent a process called Anglicization, where the Spanish pronunciation and spelling were adapted to fit English speech patterns. Vámonos became "vamoose", with English speakers treating it as a verb meaning "to leave quickly" or "to depart in a hurry”.

It's a classic example of a loanword that came into English through cultural contact along the frontier, similar to other Spanish-derived terms in American English like "rodeo”, "lasso”, "bronco", and "stampede”.

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MASTERS OF THE QUICK EXIT

From tiny cuttlefish that puff ink clouds to deer vanishing into tree-thick shadows, the animal kingdom is full of examples of tactical disappearance. Each species has evolved its own strategy to “vamoose”—not just to flee danger, but to do so with deception or invisibility.

Take the octopus, for instance. When startled, it jets away, cloaks itself in camouflage, and leaves behind a decoy ink cloud.

Similarly, African lizards known as “Jesus lizards” literally run on water to escape predators. One moment they’re basking in the sun; the next, they’re skimming at high speed across a pond.

- Disappearing fast is often about misdirection, not speed—many prey species confuse their predators before they flee. 

- The best escape is pre-planned—burrows, tunnels, and escape routes are mapped out long before danger appears.

- Sometimes, standing still is the ultimate vamoose—mimicry and stillness can render an animal effectively invisible.

Humans could learn a lot from these elegant exits—how to leave situations swiftly, wisely, and without burning bridges.

Helga & Paul Smith

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SYNONYMS

abscond, absquatulate, amscray, beat a hasty retreat, beat it, blow this joint, bolt, clear off, clear out, cut and run, dash, depart in haste, do a bunk, do a runner, flee, fly the coop, get away (gone, lost, moving, get out), get out of dodge, get out of here, get outta dodge, get the hell out, go on the lam, hightail, hightail it, hit and run, hit the bricks, hit the road, hoof it,  hotfoot it, jump ship, leave in a flash, make a break for it (a dash for it, a getaway), make oneself scarce, make tracks, pull a vanishing act, run away, run for it, run like hell, run off, scadaddle, scamper, scarper, scat, scoot, scram, skedaddle, slip away, take flight, take to one’s heels (to the hills), turn tail, VAMOOSE

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation today, say something like:

“When negotiations stall, sometimes the best move is to VAMOOSE gracefully.”

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