France· medium
prendre le maquis
“to take to the maquis (scrubland)”
Meaning
To go into hiding to escape the authorities
Explanation
Going into hiding, out of reach of the authorities. It took on its most famous sense in WWII, when taking to the maquis meant joining the Resistance.
Example
Pendant l'Occupation, plusieurs jeunes du village ont pris le maquis pour rejoindre la Résistance.
During the Occupation, several young men from the village took to the maquis to join the Resistance.
Origin
'Maquis' comes from the Corsican 'macchia' (from Italian, ultimately Latin for 'stain'), the thick, patchy scrubland covering Corsican hillsides. Corsicans on the run from the law would vanish into it, and by WWII the word had come to stand for the French Resistance itself.
Where
Corsica
Source
More like this
- bandit d’honneurAn outlaw in hiding after avenging his family
- être dans les brouillards du RhôneTo not have been born yet
- ne pas voir l’eau dans le RhôneTo be a bit simple-minded
- aller péter dans les fleursTo tell someone to clear off and stop bothering you
- avoir maille à partirto be in an ongoing dispute with someone
- avoir un œuf à peler avec quelqu’unTo have a score to settle with someone