absquatulate

American  

[ab-skwoch-uh-leyt] / æbˈskwɒtʃ əˌleɪt /

verb (used without object)

Slang.

absquatulated, absquatulating

1. to flee; abscond.

   The old prospector absquatulated with our picks and shovel.

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absquatulate British  

/ æbˈskwɒtjʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to leave; decamp

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Other Word Forms

• absquatulater noun
• absquatulation noun

Etymology

Origin of absquatulate

1820–30; pseudo-Latinism, from ab-, squat, and -ulate, paralleling Latin-derived words with initial abs- (e.g., abscond, abstention ) and final -tulate (e.g., congratulate )

Explanation

Absquatulate is a deeply silly word that means to make off with something or someone. Why say a thief ran away with your money when it's much more fun to say he absquatulated with it? The word absquatulate came out of an odd fad in America in the 1830s for making playful words that sounded vaguely Latin. Bloviate ("speak pompously") and discombobulate ("make confused") are two other pseudo-Latin coinages from that era. Absquatulate takes the word squat and adds the prefix ab- "off, away" and the verb ending -ulate to suggest getting up and leaving quickly. It's hardly ever used nowadays, mostly showing up as an example of an absurd word.

Example Sentences

Other items which Sir William traces far include: absquatulate, anxious seat, slam bang, cinch, lengthy, maverick, rain check, barn stormer, cowcatcher, calamity howler, greased lightning, rambunctious.

From Time Magazine Archive

He turned round and, exercising his privilege as an "Old Boy," gruffly ordered us to "absquatulate," which means nothing worse than "scram."

From Time Magazine Archive

The way Jupiter Charity-Sanchez is now staring at the poster on her closet door—flushed cheeks, moist eyes, closed mouth—makes me want to absquatulate into a crevasse somewhere and perish.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

The hybrid but expressive Americanism absquatulate, means to clear off; the reverse of to squat.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Belcher, Edward, Sir

Do they think I mean to absquatulate with the spoons?

From Our American Cousin by Taylor, Tom