French leave

== English == === Etymology === From French (adjective) +‎ leave (noun), apparently from a French custom, already recorded in the 18th century, of leaving from receptions or other events without formally announcing one’s departure to the host or hostess. Compare Spanish irse a la francesa and Portuguese sair à francesa (“go in the French manner”) but also the otherwise ubiquitous attribution of this behaviour to the English as with French filer à l’anglaise (“leave in the English manner”), Italian filarsela all'inglese, Polish wyjść po angielsku, etc. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /fɹɛnt͡ʃ ˈliːv/ (General American) IPA(key): /fɹɛnt͡ʃ ˈliv/ Rhymes: -iːv === Noun === French leave (uncountable) (idiomatic, informal, dated) A departure taken quietly and unnoticed, without asking for permission or informing anyone. [from mid 18th c.] Synonyms: French exit; (figurative) AWOL, disappearing act, Irish goodbye (specifically, chiefly military, euphemistic) Desertion or temporary absence from duty or service without permission; absence without leave, AWOL. ==== Derived terms ==== take French leave, take a French leave (obsolete) ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== by your leave duck out slip out sneak out === References === === Further reading === French leave on Wikipedia.Wikipedia