exit stage left
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.26 in modern English
24
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To exit or disappear in a quiet, non-dramatic fashion, making way for more interesting events.
Example Sentences
- "We played until our fellow participants began to reenter the gym. Then we pulled on our shirts, left the ball for dead on the foul line, and made a quick exit stage left."
- "But like the career paths of so many Israeli politicians, his exit stage left was really a prelude to entering stage right: "I'll continue to serve," Peres told NEWSWEEK..."
- "1998: C.M. from Manitowac, WI, Mike and Carrie https://web.archive.org/web/20041227101650/http://www.baileydoginc.com/mcangels/magconnect/march17.html DAYS teased us with Mike and Carrie all through Carrie and Austin's honeymoon, and continues to tease us today as the newlyweds settle into everyday life. Austin better exit stage left soon, and give Carrie and Mike a chance for love."
- ""Bears are at their most dangerous when taken by surprise... If you do happen to come across one, you should exit stage left at normal pace (you won't outrun a bear) and without your picnic basket."."
- "Exit stage left 47 dead bodies of the 112 known people who suffered from the unexplained attacks. This is a mortality rate of 42 percent."
- "Suddenly, all the animals we see around dive into and disappear into the bush. […] There was some kind of communication (that we humans didn’t hear) among the animals that said, “Exit stage left, now!”"
Etymology
From the direction in theatrical scripts: "Exit stage left", marking the disappearance of a character from the stage in the normal manner.