leg-bailn.1
/ˌlɛɡˈbeɪl/, U.S. /ˈlɛɡˌbeɪl/ Unauthorized absence or departure; French leave. Chiefly in to give (also take) leg-bail (occasionally to make leg bail): to run away; to decamp.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > going away > go away [verb (intransitive)] > run away or flee
fleec825
afleeeOE
atrina1000
atfleec1000
to run awayOE
to turn to or into flighta1225
to turn the ridgec1225
atrenc1275
atshakec1275
to give backa1300
flemec1300
startc1330
to take (on oneself) the flighta1500
to take the back upon oneselfa1500
fly1523
to take (also betake) (oneself) to one's legs1530
to flee one's way1535
to take to one's heels1548
flought?1567
fuge1573
to turn taila1586
to run off1628
to take flighta1639
refugea1641
to run for it1642
to take leg1740
to give (also take) leg-bail1751
bail1775
sherry1788
to pull foot1792
fugitate1830
to tail off (out)1830
to take to flight1840
to break (strike, etc.) for (the) tall timber1845
guy1879
to give leg (or legs)1883
rabbit1887
to do a guy1889
high-tail1908
to have it on one's toes1958
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > going away > [noun] > going away suddenly or hurriedly
scamper1697
decampment1706
helter-skelter1713
scamperinga1774
run1799
leg-bail1808
bolting1820
bolt1831
absquatulation1839
vamosing1862
hot foot1869
1751 Ladies Mag. 23 Mar. 171/2 When he had got some Money of them, he would give them Leg-Bail, that is, run away.
1773 R. Fergusson Poems 98 They took leg bail and ran awa', Wi' pith and speid.
1775 J. Adair Hist. Amer. Indians 277 I had concluded to use no chivalry, but give them leg-bail instead of it, by..making for a deep swamp.
1808 Sporting Mag. 32 122 We have more occasion..for leg-bail than they have.
1861 T. Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. I. xi. 213 [He] was giving them leg-bail as hard as he could foot it.
1889 Cent. Mag. Feb. 632/1 Judgment was enforced by the scalping-knife, with leg-bail or a tribal warfare as a court of last resort.
1939 P. Anderson Pugnax Gladiator iii. 60 We risk our skins to save him, and he takes leg-bail without even a word of thanks.
2011 M. M. McMillin Gather Shadowmen xvii. 202 Capt'n Patterson might be interested in makin' leg bail, sir.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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