Why Is It Called An Irish Goodbye? 

I'm from Ireland, and when I heard the term 'Irish Goodbye' I actually assumed it meant the opposite. If you every try to leave a party as an Irish person, it takes about an hour longer than you think it will. I thought it had something to do with overstaying a welcome. I was SHOCKED to hear it meant the opposite - i.e. just vanishing without a formal farewell. I don't think this saying has anything to do with Irish people or being Irish.

In Russia it’s called English goodbye, interestingly

I can't believe he just left without saying goodbye.

I'm from Ireland, and I actually never heard of this term until I lived in New York for a time, so I imagine there might be something to the relation of Irish immigration into the US (maybe during the famine). I do also wonder if it is a similar principal to the British "stiff upper lip," maybe we're not big into long goodbyes because we feel "ah, I'll see them again soon anyway." Not an expert, these are just my own guesses.

2:06 this IS actually the reason. Mass emigration from Ireland was required for 150 years after the Famine. Easier on everyone to just go rather than having to say a sad goodbye. That way the last time you were with family was the 'American wake' the night before, which was a happier last memory to go with.

Now I'm just thinking about all the Sci-fi and Fantasy settings with beings called "Celestials" 😂

I am the master of this form of goodbye. I don't mind being social and having a conversation, but the practice of social pleasantries, niceties, decorum, propriety, or formality all have evaded my sensibilities, or lack of, well into my 30's. I am also an avid bumbler when it comes to cussing in front of kids.

I heard the reason originated from trying to leave an Irish family event. Irish families are notoriously large and it takes forever to leave if you try and say goodbye to everyone there. Imagine standing there awkwardly waiting for a number of different conversations to end so you can say goodbye. It happens at every family event i go to. Still haven't mastered it. You atleast always say goodbye to the host though.

I love the Irish Goodbye. I may have been doing it before it was commonly labeled.

put your hands down

This dude just discovered gesticulating

In English many things called "French" are actually just to mean _"foreign to us but not THAT foreign"_ think about French toast, French fries, French kiss, etc. Even if those exact phrases can be traced back to a certain root, putting "French" in the name of something made it seem exotic and exciting, or possibly scary and wrong to most English speakers for a long time. There are SO many examples of this in English, then you can look to other languages and see the identical thing but with other rivals/enemies/sister states, etc. It was certainly done with the English islands towards France in recent history, although in the VAST majority of cases there is zero evidence it originates from France in the slightest. It often predates it's popularity in France, or even being almost completely unknown to the common French intellectual as a part of common nomenclature. The British and it's influence over the area caused a lot of objects traded or cultural ideas to be marketed as "French" to sound more exciting to the average person who wasn't well educated in the rest of Europe by today's standards.

"I'm not sure what to do with my hands" -Ricky Bobby

It’s a nearly lifelong behaviour of mine, because my mother never said goodnight to me when I went to bed, or goodbye when I went to school in the morning. I live in Ireland now but the behaviour stuck. It has been pointed out to me and it’s a bit embarrassing but it seems so final.

I’m Irish, and I often leave parties without saying goodbye, but I don’t even intend to do it. It just kinda happens. Goodday!

I was an expert before I knew this phenomenon had a name.

The last time I did that was when I was 4. BTW, French Stewart invented French Fries...

Sometimes you have a few too many to drink and wander off, no harm no foul.

“There’s probably a way to say what you mean without invoking an entire culture!” ☝️🤓

Damn…my name is Thomas lol

Never knew it had a name but I've done this since I was 8. I'm rarely in any photos due to this 😂

Yes. It seems we use it in ireland but it only came in reasonably recently. It's useful and not considered rude as you might be too drunk or not wanting to disturb the fun and change the mood.

thank you very much - good video

thank you!

My ancestors came from Ireland. Must be why I find this completely acceptable

Cheers

This kind of makes me think about stereotypes in general about famous figures, having originated typically from rivals at the time. For example, the idea of Napoleon being short (in reality he was like, 5'6") came from English political cartoonists, who took Napoleon's slightly shorter-than-average stature and parodied it. English political caricatures became the rage unfortunately at the time Napoleon was rising to power, so the joke stuck, and generations grew up just believing Napoleon was essentially this midget figure.

"Irish goodbye"? I'm writing this at my home in Dublin at 75 years of age: I have never heard the expression. In fact, "Irish goodbye!" = Slán!

Wow. So this video took the Irish good bye and have it to the French.

Alright...Irish exit/French exit, then French people say it as Filer a l'anglaise, meaning to leave as the English. After the Berlin wall fell, Germany call it Einen Polnischen Abgang machen: "to make a Polish exit". However Americans: Dutch leave

All I know is I've had my fill and it's time to hit the sack. Don't care what you call it.

Ahhh, racism. I get it now

This video has it all wrong. The Irish goodbye (or any other cultural “goodbye”). Means to leave without pretence, to leave without the burden of having your peers stop their enjoyment of the moment. Just leave. It’s not racist or cultural. It’s actually kindness.

Little advise… use your hands more

WAY too much hand waving.

Use them for work

I love how Conan O'Brien is not just a funny bloke but can also explain stuff

Ghosting 👻

Irish goodbyes are funny. I bet this guy is just the life of the party! 🤡

soy...