1) To permanently leave an area, job, country etc.
2) To Make a quick getaway.
3) When it's time to explore pastures new.
The term is widely used by the traveller community when it's time for them to move on. It originally stems from American Indian culture, where they would have to pack up their camp and move to another area. Their Tepi (tent) would be constructed by inserting around 12 very long
sticks into the ground and then bundled together at the
top, cloth or animal hide was draped over the
top to create a shelter. When it was time to move on they would just pull up the
sticks from the ground and the Tepi would just
fold in on itself, making it easy for them to make a quick getaway.
1) Employee: "This Company is getting worse and worse, I think it's time for me to Upsticks and Move on."
2) When the
police knock your door.
Policeman: We're here to arrest John
Smith."
Housemate: "Sorry mate, he moved out 2 weeks ago."
Policeman: "where is he living now?"
Housemate: "No idea mate, he left in the
night, just upsticked and moved on."
3) Traveller: "I've just got wind that the council are coming to evict us tomorrow, so get your things together it's time to Upsticks and Move on."
