Where we least think, there goeth the hare away.

What one is seeking, watching, or trying to prevent may slip away through the very quarter that seems least likely. The saying counsels against assuming that the obvious route, cause, or danger is the only one worth considering.

It can also express surprise when events take an unanticipated turn. The hare is figurative, not necessarily about a hunt: an opportunity, answer, or problem may emerge or depart where nobody had thought to look.

Use it when an expected result is thwarted or a surprise comes from an overlooked direction, especially after people have focused too narrowly on the apparent possibility. Its archaic “goeth” and figurative hare suit literary, humorous, or deliberately proverbial use better than plain contemporary speech.