borrow legs
v. phr.— «Opposition demonstrators, comprising students, market women, the employed and the unemployed youths besieged the Government House with sticks in hand, smashed doors and windows and anything that was on their way. They posed such a potent force that the more than 200 policemen on duty in Government House had to “borrow legs.” They sacked government and took over.» —“Bribery: Matters Arising” by Josef Omorotionmwan This Day (Nigeria) Mar. 30, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Unwrap the name of a candy bar, and you just might find a story inside. For instance, one chewy treat found in many a checkout lane is named after a family’s beloved horse. And: 50 years ago in the United States, some Latino elementary...
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people disagreed over the best word to use when answering the phone. Alexander Graham Bell suggested answering with ahoy! but Thomas Edison was partial to hello! A fascinating new book about...