déguerpir

to flee, to run off; to scram, skedaddle, scarper; to bug

“Le journaliste déguerpit, la queue entre les jambes.” — The journalist ran off, his tail between his legs.

Inherited from Middle French déguerpir, deswerpir (“to leave”), from Old French deguerpir (“to abandon”), from de- + guerpir (“to give up, abandon”), from Frankish *wurpijan (“to throw, cast off”), from Proto-Germanic *werpaną (“to throw”), from Proto-Indo-European *werb- (“to turn, twist”). Compare Walloon diwerpi, Occitan degurpir, Middle French gurpir (“to give up, abandon”). Cognate with Old High German werfan (“to throw”), Old English weorpan (“to throw, cast, cast away”). More at warp.