What does it Mean to ‘Take French Leave’?

To take French leave means to take a leave unannounced or without permission; to depart from a place without telling anyone.

It was a custom of the French people in the 18th century to leave a party or a function without saying goodbye to the host so as not to disturb them.

So, if somebody took French leave, he left without saying goodbye or without any intimation. Gradually this expression began to be applied to other scenarios as well.

For example —

“It was getting late, so I decided to take French leave and left.”

It means I didn’t tell anyone and left.

I hope you found this story interesting. If you did, buy my full course on Udemy or watch it for free on Skillshare by signing up here. This course covers nearly 380 idioms with their origins and backstories.

Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.