Hit the Road

Documented in American slang from 1873 with the closely related "hit the trail," but exactly which literal image inspired it is unsettled. One theory points to the sound of hooves, feet, or wheels striking the road at the start of a journey. Another credits travelling circus performers and musicians, packing up and moving to the next town, for whom "hitting the road" meant resuming touring life. Ray Charles's 1961 hit "Hit the Road Jack" later cemented the phrase in pop culture, adding the now-common meaning of telling someone bluntly to leave.