exit stage left meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

exit stage left

noun

Etymology From the direction in theatrical scripts: "Exit stage left", marking the disappearance of a character from the stage in the normal manner.

Idiomatic An orderly and uneventful departure, timed so as not to detract or distract.

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.2001, Phil Jackson, Charles Rosen, More Than a Game:
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...2005, Dan Ephron, Joanna Chen, Israel: Peres—Exit Stage Left:

verb

Etymology From the direction in theatrical scripts: "Exit stage left", marking the disappearance of a character from the stage in the normal manner.

To exit or disappear in a quiet, non-dramatic fashion, making way for more interesting events.

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.".2004, Setsunai, chapter IV, in On Gaien Higashi Dori: The Bells:

Imperative Leave the scene, and don't make a fuss.

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.1974: U.S. Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs, Nutrition and Human Needs--1972 http://books.google.com/books?vid=LCCN72602216&id=K03BhndHtK8C&q=%22exit+stage+left%22+date:1800-1980&dq=%22exit+stage+left%22+date:1800-1980&pgis=1
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!”2019, Ernie Nylander, “Animals with Whom We Share the Planet”, in Splendid South Africa and Swaziland, New York, N.Y.: Page Publishing, Inc., →ISBN: