Hit the Road

An illustration of a hand performing a reverse hitching motion with yellow text above it. Everything is set on a blue background.

To "hit the road" means to leave, to get going, usually to travel by car. The phrase is an idiom, "a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words." Another example is "raining cats and dogs." The illustration of closed fingers with the thumb out is meant to represent hitchhiking. Hitchhiking is a way to travel by asking for rides from fellow travelers. The phrase "hit the road" combined with the thumb implies travel. It can be a question, "What time are we hitting the road?" It can also be used to tell someone to leave, "Hit the road, pal, it's time for you to go!" In 1961, singer Ray Charles topped the U.S. music charts with "Hit the Road Jack," a song about telling your partner the relationship is over.