Example: Après la dispute, ils ont décidé de mettre les voiles immédiatement.
Definition
"Mettre les voiles" is a French expression meaning to leave quickly or to depart suddenly, often used when someone decides to go away after an event or situation, as in the example where they decided to 'mettre les voiles' immediately after the argument.
Translations
To leave quickly
Salir pitando
Er vandoor gaan
Tocar el dos
Die Segel streichen
Etymology
The expression "mettre les voiles" literally means 'to set the sails' in French, originating from sailing terminology where setting the sails allowed a ship to depart. Over time, it evolved metaphorically to mean leaving or taking off quickly. Did you know it captures the imagery of a ship swiftly heading away from its current place?
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"Mettre les voiles" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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To leave quickly