Do you desperately want to get rid of a persistent door-to-door salesman who pushed his foot in the door to convince you to buy his set of amazing plastic containers? You might yell, “Take a hike!” to get the message across.
Learn more about the meaning and origin of this idiom in this post.
Meaning
The idiomatic saying “take a hike” is a strongly-worded and slightly impolite way to ask someone to leave.
A hike can be defined as a vigorous long walk, so when you tell someone to “take a hike,” you say that you would like the person to go away.
“Taking a hike” also has a literal meaning. If you would like to invite someone to go on a nature trail with you, it is better to ask, “Would you like to go hiking with me?” than to say, “Let’s take a hike!”
Example Usage
Are you curious how the idiom “take a hike” is used in everyday language? These example sentences will help you out:
- “So, I was at the bar waiting for my boyfriend the other night, and this guy kept offering to buy me drinks. I told him to take a hike after the third time, but he still had another go. What a creep!”
- “That new student has been following me around like a puppy. It’s annoying, but I don’t want to be rude. Do you think I should tell him to take a hike?”
- “My aunt has been trying to set me up with her friends’ daughters. I’d really like to tell her to take a hike, but I don’t have the heart to offend her. What should I do?”
Origin
Interestingly, the word “hike,” meaning “a vigorous long walk,” only dates back to the early 19th century. The word’s origins are unknown, but it used to be spelled “hyke.”
Although the word “hike” has been around since the early 1800s, it only became popular at the beginning of the 20th century. Hiking, or taking long walks in nature for recreational reasons, became a more common pastime then.
“Take a hike,” as an idiomatic phrase to tell someone to go away because you don’t want to see them, dates back to the 1940s and originated in the United States.
The phrase is informal and, depending on whom you ask, mildly or fairly offensive. You can use the expression when joking around with your friends or addressing someone you never want to see again.
Dictionary entries usually describe “take a hike” as impolite. However, that depends on the speaker’s cultural context. For example, a 2016 Urban Dictionary entry describes “take a hike” as a polite way to tell someone to “get the fuck out.”
Phrases Similar to Take a Hike
If you don’t want to use the phrase “take a hike,” you can also say:
- Get lost — a phrase with the same tone and meaning.
- Skedaddle — another way to tell someone to go away.
- Be gone.
Less polite ways to convey the same message include “fuck off” and “piss off.”
Phrases Opposite to Take a Hike
You may welcome someone’s presence if you don’t want them to “take a hike.”
In that case, you may say, “Please come in,” or “You’re welcome here.”
What Is the Correct Saying?
The correct saying is “take a hike.” This phrase is a strong way to tell someone to leave.
Ways People May Say Take a Hike Incorrectly
Nature-loving English learners who know that “taking a hike” means taking a walk may risk offending people when they innocently invite people to take a hike.
If you are talking about a literal hike (outdoors, with hiking boots), make that clear.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Take a Hike
You can tell an annoying person you don’t want around to “take a hike.” This message tells the person you don’t like them in no uncertain terms.
You might also jokingly tell a friend to “take a hike” when they persistently ask you to do something you don’t want to.