Which of these expressions means "to go to sleep"?
Hit the hay
A hard day's night
Better late than never
Burn the midnight oil
You'll get the next one!
Hit the hay and hit the sack are idioms that both mean to go to bed or to go to sleep. They are informal expressions commonly used to convey the idea of going to sleep or getting some rest.
The idiom hit the hay originates from the practice of sleeping on hay-stuffed mattresses, which was prevalent in the 19th century. While early instances in literature were non-idiomatic, its figurative use emerged in the early 20th century, with boxer Samuel Berger credited for its first recorded use.
Widely adopted in military circles by World War I, its quick integration into common language, possibly influenced by Berger’s popularity, indicates its early circulation.
