Learn English – Meaning of the verb TO HIT in “hit the road”

phrase-meaning

I wonder about the meaning of TO HIT in this kind of context,

Follow this footpath and you’ll eventually hit the road.

There is also a song which goes as follows

hit the road, Jack …

Can anyone help me grasp the meaning of TO HIT in these specific context?

Best Answer

The first hit means to encounter, to come across:

hit
verb (used with object), hit, hitting.

  1. to come or light upon; meet with; find: to hit the right road.

(Dictionary.com)

If you follow that footpath, you will eventually find the road.

I would say the second one is part of an idiom: hit the road. In that context, the speaker is commanding Jack to leave, to go away. However, in a different context, it can simply mean to begin a journey.

  • hit the road
    to leave; go away
    to start or resume travelling
    (Collins Dictionary)
  • hit the road
    Fig. to depart; to begin one's journey, especially on a road trip; to leave for home. It's time to hit the road. I'll see you. We have to hit the road very early in the morning.
    (TFD)
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