Idiom
Hit the sack
To hit the sack means to go to bed, usually because you are tired.
How people use it
This is a casual, everyday way to say you are going to bed: "I'm going to hit the sack." It usually refers to bedtime at night, after a long day, rather than a quick nap. It means going to bed, not necessarily falling asleep right away. The same idea is often expressed as "hit the hay." The tone is informal, so it fits talk with friends and family but not formal writing.
Examples
- It's almost midnight, so I'm going to hit the sack.
- After the long hike, the campers hit the sack right after dinner.
- Ana hits the sack early on nights before a big exam.
Where it comes from
The phrase is American and dates from the early 1900s. A sack was a cloth bag stuffed with straw or hay that served as a simple mattress, and "sack" became slang for a bed or bunk. The phrase was common among soldiers and sailors, which helped it spread. "Hit the hay" appeared around the same time with the same picture behind it.
Check yourself
1. Your dad yawns and says he is going to hit the sack. What will he do?
Answer: Go to bed. Hit the sack is an informal way to say go to bed.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: I'm exhausted, so I'll hit the sack after this episode.. The speaker is tired and going to bed.
Similar idioms
Word game fan? See every word hiding in SACK.