- Meaning
- This idiom means to leave a place or situation abruptly, often to start anew elsewhere, as if pulling up tent stakes to move camp. It conveys relocation or abandonment, typically used in personal, professional, or migratory contexts to describe departure. The phrase carries a tone of decisiveness, adventure, or necessity, reflecting cultural values of mobility and the human tendency to seek new beginnings. Its pioneer imagery evokes a nomadic shift, resonating in scenarios like moving towns or quitting jobs. The idiom captures the act of uprooting, making it a vivid metaphor for change.
- Origin
- The phrase originated in 19th-century America, tied to frontier life where settlers pulled up stakes to move tents or claims, as noted in pioneer diaries. Its earliest recorded use appears in *The Chicago Tribune* (1850s), describing homesteaders relocating. The idiom gained traction during westward expansion, amplified by Mark Twain’s *Roughing It* (1872). Its spread was boosted by 20th-century mobility and media, notably in *The New York Times* for urban migration. Its adoption, primarily in the U.S., stems from its rugged imagery and relevance to restless change.
- Variants
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- Pull up stakes
- Pull stakes
- Upped stakes
- Examples
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- They pulled up stakes and moved to a new city for a fresh start.
- Pull stakes, he did, quitting his job to travel the world.
- Upped stakes, the family relocated after the factory closed.
- Pull up stakes, she decided, leaving the toxic workplace behind.
- Pulling up stakes, they sold their house to chase a dream.
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