the.com/setting off
The instant your couch becomes a memory and the unknown becomes the plan.
means The act of departing or beginning a journey; also, by extension, triggering or causing something (like an alarm or a chain of events) to start.
from A plain English phrasal verb built from "set" — one of the oldest, busiest verbs in the language, from Old English "settan," meaning to place or put — paired with the directional "off." The combination carries the sense of putting yourself in motion away from where you stand. The same "set off" gave us the explosive sense (to set off a charge) and the contrasting sense (a color that sets off another), all from that core idea of putting something into action or putting it apart.
- naval roots
- Sailors literally 'set off' by casting ropes from the dock
- explosive cousin
- Same phrase triggers fireworks and bombs
- departure ritual
- Travelers historically poured wine for safe journeys
- brain chemistry
- Anticipation spikes dopamine more than arrival itself
- first step
- A 1,000-mile trip and a coffee run share it
first atomic bomb test — trinity, july 16 1945, alamogordo new mexico
september 11 attacks — al-qaeda operatives hijacked 4 planes and crashed them into us targets, 2001
arab spring protests — began when tunisian street vendor mohamed bouazizi self-immolated december 17 2010