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This article is about the phrase "French leave". For other uses, see French leave (disambiguation)

French leave refers to the act of leaving a party without bidding farewell to the host. The intent behind this behaviour is to leave without disturbing the host. The phrase was born at a time when the English and French cultures were heavily interlinked

The term is also used to mean the act of leisurely desertion from a military unit or to go away or do a thing without permission. This comes from the rich history of Franco-English conflict, and has a perfect French equivalent in "filer à l'anglaise" (to take the English leave). As Spain has a similar saying concerning the French, it may have come from the Napolonic campaign in the Iberic Peninsula which pitted the French against an Anglo-Portuguese & Spanish alliance.

The actual derivation may have its roots in American history during the French and Indian wars. About 140 French soldiers were captured near Lake George in New York and ferried to an island in the lake. The French, knowing the area better than the British, waited until near dawn and quietly waded ashore leaving their captors bewildered on arising. Though its role as such didn't last a day, the island has been named Prison Island.

In Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson, the main character, Jim, refers to taking "a French leave" when he leaves the shelter unbeknownst to the captain.

In the movie "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" Senator Smith is accused of taking "French leave" when he fails to show up at his office in a timely manner upon first arriving in Washington, D.C.

• AWOL