What does taking French leave mean?

noun. Sometimes Offensive. a departure without ceremony, permission, or notice: Taking French leave, he evaded his creditors.

What is a French goodbye?

1 – Au Revoir – The Most Common Way of Saying Goodbye in French. 2 – Bonne journée / bonne soirée /bonne nuit. 3 – Salut. 4 – À plus / À plus tard / A +

Has an AXE to grind meaning?

phrase. If someone has an axe to grind, they are doing something for selfish reasons. [informal, disapproval] He seems like a decent bloke and I’ve got no axe to grind with him. [ + with]

What is an Irish good bye?

A slang phrase rumored to have originated in the Northeast, an “Irish goodbye” refers to a person ducking out of a party, social gathering or very bad date without bidding farewell. …

What does cut and dry mean?

Definition of cut-and-dried : being or done according to a plan, set procedure, or formula : routine a cut-and-dried presentation.

What is the origin of the term “taking French leave”?

In British English, the act is sometimes attributed to the French, called “taking French leave,” which can also connote leaving work without permission, or just not showing up. The Oxford English Dictionary traces “the French leave” to as far back as 1751, from an obviously useful text called, The polite politician: or, entertaining correspondent.

How do you say “to leave the English way” in French?

The French, meanwhile, give credit to the English: “partir à l’anglaise” or “filer à l’anglaise,” or “to leave the English way.” In Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, written toward the end of the 19th century, the narrator remarks: «Je vous suis, me dit-il, mais nous ne pouvons pas partir à l’anglaise.

Where did the phrase “to leave the English way” originate?

According to linguist Anatoly Liberman, the British “French leave” is likely the original version, to which the French fired back with “to leave the English way,” and from which the other idioms came.

What is the difference between “French leave” and “Irish Goodbye”?

“French leave” has also historically been an American-ism, but it seems to have fallen out of use. The “Irish goodbye” only began appearing in US newspapers and pop culture in the last eight years. The French, meanwhile, give credit to the English: “partir à l’anglaise” or “filer à l’anglaise,” or “to leave the English way.”