without so much as a by your leave

English

Alternative forms

• without so much as a by-your-leave
• without a by your leave
• without a by-your-leave

Prepositional phrase

without so much as a by your leave

1. (dated) Omitting the social niceties, especially that of asking permission.
   • 1914, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Outlaw of Torn:

     "What now," he said, "have the King's men respect neither for piety nor age that they burst in upon the seclusion of a holy man without so much as a 'by your leave' ?"

   • 2013, Strom Thurmond, A History of the African-American People:

     You just slam the fucking door without so much as a by your leave.

   • 2014, Ashvajit Dharmachari, In the Footstep of the Buddha, page 212:

     By lunchtime the Professor had had enough, and he left the retreat, his Brahminical thread and all, without so much as a by your leave.

   • 2021, Charles Edward Stowe, The Life Of Harriet Beecher Stowe:

     I had a new sympathy for babies, poor little things, who are rocked hours at a time without so much as a “by your leave” in the case.

Translations

Translations

• Finnish: omine lupineen
• French: sans autre forme de procès (fr)
• Polish: nie prosząc o pozwolenie

Further reading

• “without so much as a by your leave” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.
• “without so much as a by your leave”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “without so much as a by your leave” (US) / “without so much as a by your leave” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.