
569. Do You Need Closure?
Freakonomics Radio
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Xenophobic Origins of 'Irish Exit'
The phrase 'Irish exit' or 'Irish goodbye' is based on a stereotype of Irish people over-imbibing and being too intoxicated to say goodbye before leaving a social event. Another theory is that it was inspired by the mass Irish emigration during the 19th century potato famine. The idiom is primarily American, while in Great Britain, the act is referred to as 'taking a French leave', and in other parts of the world, it's known as 'leaving the English way' or the 'Polish exit'. Regardless of the country, there seems to be a xenophobic way to describe this particular behavior.
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