French leave

English

Etymology

The Oxford English Dictionary records: "the custom (in the 18th century prevalent in France and sometimes imitated in England) of going away from a reception, etc. without taking leave of the host or hostess. Hence, jocularly, to take French leave is to go away, or do anything, without permission or notice."

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Noun

French leave (uncountable)

1. A sudden or unannounced departure, or one taken without permission. [from 1770s]
   • 1771, Tobias Smollett, The Expedition of Humphry Clinker:

     He stole away an Irishman's bride, and took a French leave of me and his master.

   • 2010, William Marvel, The Great Task Remaining: The Third Year of Lincoln's War, page 10:

     he may have felt a particular need to mitigate the responsibility of those who shirked their duty, for as he wrote that letter he had just returned from French leave himself.

Coordinate terms

• duck out

See also

• AWOL
• disappearing act

Translations

sudden or unannounced departure

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 不辞而别 (bùcí'érbié)

• Finnish: liukeneminen (fi), häipyminen, haihtuminen (fi)
• French: filer à l’anglaise (fr) (take English leave)
• German: französischer Abschied m (take French leave)
• Hungarian: angolosan távozik (hu) (take English leave)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: wyjście po angielsku n (take English leave)
• Portuguese: saída à francesa f (take French leave)
• Russian: ухо́д по-англи́йски m (uxód po-anglíjski) (take English leave)
• Spanish: despedida a la francesa f (take French leave)
• Swedish: bondpermission (sv) c, (colloquially) bondpermis (sv) c