In January of 2025, the good folks at Defector.com published a list of 35 topics that have been discussed to within an inch of their life here on the internet.  Lucky for me, I haven’t publicly commented on most, if not all, of these topics, so I figured why not dip my toes into the fray on occasion.  We will continue today with the next question on their list:

Irish Goodbyes

First, let’s define what this is.  Google’s AI bullshit says an Irish goodbye (also known as an Irish exit) “is the act of leaving a social gathering or party quietly and unannounced without telling the host or other guests.”  The term originated in America in the 19th century as a derogatory idiom despite bearing no relation to the behavior of actual Irish folks.  So, is it acceptable?  I guess it depends on the size of the gathering.  If there’s, say, 20 or more people at said gathering, feel free.  Nobody should particularly notice.  If it is a smaller gathering, then you should probably just face the music and say a proper goodbye, even if it is to the group as a whole.