take to one's heels third-person singular simple present takes to one's heels present participle taking to one's heels simple past took to one's heels past participle taken to one's heels
( idiomatic ) leave , especially to flee or run away .
1839 Charles Dickens , chapter 10, in Oliver Twist :[T]hen, confused and frightened, he took to his heels ; and, not knowing what he did, made off as fast as he could lay his feet to the ground.
1908 Robert Louis Stevenson , chapter 26, in In the South Seas :Of a sudden, however, a man broke from their company, took to his heels , and fled into the church.
1955 July 4, “Art: Patriot Painter ”, in Time :After returning the fire three times, Peale's men saw the enemy formed near the college take to their heels .
2010 Arranged Marriage and the Vanishing Roots [1] →ISBN 81 :Often tax defaulters would take to their heels on sighting the tax collectors.
to flee or run away
Bulgarian: плюя си на петите ( pljuja si na petite )
Czech: vzít nohy na ramena (cs)
Finnish: ottaa hatkat (fi)
French: prendre ses jambes à son cou (fr)
German: sich davonmachen , sich aus dem Staub machen (de) , die Beine in die Hand nehmen (de) , Reißaus nehmen (de)
Greek: το βάζω στα πόδια (el) ( to vázo sta pódia )
Hindi: नौ दो ग्यारह होना ( nau do gyārah honā )
Icelandic: taka til fótanna taka á rás
Polish: wziąć nogi za pas (pl) , brać nogi za pas (pl) impf
Portuguese: pôr os pés em polvorosa
Romanian: a-și lua picioarele la spinare a o lua la sănătoasa
Russian: навостри́ть лы́жи pf ( navostrítʹ lýži , literally “ sharpen one's skis ” ) , взять но́ги в ру́ки pf ( vzjatʹ nógi v rúki , literally “ take one's legs into one's hands ” )
Serbo-Croatian:
Roman: podbrusiti pete
Spanish: apretar los talones salir en carrera poner pies en polvorosa darse a la fuga
Yiddish: מאַכן פּליטה ( makhn pleyte ) , נעמען די פֿיס אויף די פּלייצעס ( nemen di fis oyf di pleytses )
