take a powder

present singular third person takes a powder · participle present taking a powder · past took a powder · participle past taken a powder

1. UScolloquialidiomaticTo leave without saying goodbye; to leave quietly, to run away; to scram; to depart without taking leave or notifying anyone, often with the implication of avoiding something unpleasant or shirking responsibility.

   First Mrs Hitchcock packed up and took a powder, and there was hell to pay.

   1946, Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, Bernard Wolfe, “They Found the Body in a Ditch”, in Really the Blues, New York, N.Y.: Random House, book 2 (1923–1928: Chicago, Chicago), page 66

   5 more examples

   Macdonald spoke slowly, bitterly. "The kidnapping is one too many for me, Costello. I don't want any part of it. I'm takin' a powder from this toy mob. I took a chance that bright boy might side me."

   1933, Raymond Chandler, “Blackmailers Don't Shoot”, in Collected Stories, Everyman's Library, published 2002, page 20

   In the following game, hypermodernist Gruenfeld (Black) voluntarily suhmits to having a backward Queen Pawn-all part and parcel of the grand plan for the variation chosen. In the early sequence, however, he takes a powder. Thanks to the effort of his countryman, Galia, it explodes in his face.

   1954 July, “Solitaire Chess”, in Chess Review

   I even talked to Charlie. When [his brother] Daniel took the powder, I called up Charlie on the phone. I thought maybe he'd want to do the right thing by me. You know, sometimes brothers feel responsible for each other.

   1969 October 15, Bert Prelutsky, “Burglary - Mister”, in Dragnet, spoken by Chester Albertson

   Our idea was that once the storm had subsided we'd take a powder one night with our dough. . . We'd take our stuff and give ourselves a change of air. . . move to a different neighborhood.

   1971, Louis-Ferdinand D. Celine, Death on the Installment Plan, page 446

   "Mr. Tilton said you told him you would take a powder." "Take a powder?" said Henry. "I once heard a man from Nevada tell me he would take a powder, meaning he was leaving town."

   1979, Dan McCall, Beecher: A Novel, page 162

   Synonyms: take a walkout powder