hightail
verb (informal)

- move or travel fast

- to leave or go somewhere in a great hurry

Oxford Languages, Cambridge Dictionary

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WORD ORIGIN

The phrase "hightail" or "hightail it" meaning "to leave quickly or abruptly" has an interesting etymology related to animal behaviour.

The white-tailed deer is often cited as the specific inspiration. When these deer flee, they raise their short, sturdy tails, exposing the white underside as a warning signal to other deer in the area.

The term emerged in the American West in the late 19th century, with the first known use recorded in 1890.

The phrase quickly evolved to apply metaphorically to humans leaving a place quickly, as if fleeing like a deer with its tail raised.

In modern usage, ”hightail it" emphasizes the urgency and speed of departure. For example, if you need to leave a party early, you might say, 'I have an early morning flight tomorrow, so I’d better hightail it out of here.'

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THE ART OF THE SWIFT EXIT

When danger looms or embarrassment threatens, humans and animals alike share a universal instinct: to hightail it out of there.

The raised, white or light-coloured tail — particularly of deer and rabbits — serves as a warning signal to other members of the herd or warren.

In the human world, "hightailing it" implies more than just leaving quickly; it suggests an element of urgency, sometimes tinged with fear or the desire to avoid consequences. For instance, a hiker might "hightail it" off a mountain trail as storm clouds gather. A teenager caught breaking curfew might "hightail it" home to minimize punishment.

In business, a company might "hightail it" out of a failing market. In politics, a candidate might "hightail it" away from a controversial statement. Even in space exploration, probes have been described as "hightailing it" out of our solar system.

Interestingly, the idea of hightailing is found in many other cultures. The French say prendre la poudre d'escampette (to raise dust), while Germans say die Beine in die Hand nehmen (to take one's legs in one's hands).

“Hightail” captures not just the act of leaving quickly, but the instinctive and emotional drivers behind such hasty departures. In a world of fight or flight, sometimes the wisest choice is to raise our metaphorical tails and make a swift exit.

Paul Smith

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SYNONYMS

absquatulate, beat a hasty retreat, beat it, belt, bolt (for the door), break for it, burn rubber, buzz, clear out, cut and run, dart, dash, decamp, depart (in haste), disappear, drop out, escape, exit stage left, flee, flit, fly (the coop), foot it, get going, get out of dodge, get the heck out, go (forth, like lightning), hasten (away), head for the hills, HIGHTAIL, HIGHTAIL IT, hotfoot it , hurry up and leave, jump, lam it, leave (in a hurry), leg it, make a break for it (a run for it), make haste, make a getaway (off, tracks), move, opt out, pelt, pick up my marbles and go home, put the pedal to the metal, quick step it, race (off), run, rush, scamper, scoot, scurry, scram, skedaddle, slip away, split, step on it, take flight (off, to the woods) vamoose, vanish, zoom

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

“Sorry folks, I just noticed the time and have to HIGHTAIL IT out of here… my daughter’s waiting for me at the station.”

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