Get the Hell Out of Dodge

“Getting the Hell out of Dodge” is a saying that has changed meanings over the years. Nowadays it means almost of the opposite of what it started out to mean.

I think it originally came from those old-time westerns where at some point the blandly handsome, poker-faced sheriff orders the bad guy(s) to get out of town before sundown—or else. Or sometimes the big, bad gunslinger warns somebody else to get out of town pronto—or else.

I suspect that the incredible popularity of the long-running TV show Gunsmoke helped turn that metaphorical town into Dodge. Anyway, originally it was about telling someone to get out of town right away if they know what’s good for ‘em.

But somewhere along the way, people here in Texas started using “Get the hell out of Dodge” to indicate that they wanted to leave where they were but were having a hard getting away—like getting out of the office or getting out of town for a trip. It was ironic.

A lot of my friends in Houston use “get out of town” to mean “take a trip.” For example, “I’m trying to get out of town this weekend.”

Others indicate that they are on the verge of finally escaping the office for the day and heading home, or off on a long-awaited vacation, by announcing “I’m about to get the hell out of Dodge.”

Of course, the classic Texas way to say that would be, “I’m fixin’ to get the hell out of Dodge.” But we can’t all be East Texans. It’s a gift.