by your leave
With your approval
By your leave is a formal or old-fashioned way of asking permission, now often used ironically or sarcastically.
The phrase acknowledges that one is acting with—or pointedly without—someone's consent: By your leave, I'll be taking my seat now.
Without so much as a by-your-leave describes someone acting presumptuously, not bothering to ask permission at all.
- mannersCustoms of polite conduct
- good mannersSocially acceptable conduct
- permissionGranted right to act
- may IPermission-seeking phrase
- asking permissionSeeking consent beforehand
deference · assent · request · acquiescence · courtesy · politeness · civility · social graces · excuse me · pardon me · if you please · compliance · entreating · hat in hand · archaic · old fashioned · decorum · etiquette
- Pleasantriesplease, thank you, thanks, sorry, excuse me
- polite phrasesplease, thank you, yes sir, hello, no sir
- Old Greetingsgood morrow, fare thee well, hail, well met, how now
- mannersetiquette, manners, polite, rude, politeness
- affirmativesyes, yeah, yep, yup, absolutely
- humilityhumbleness, humble, meekness, modesty, modest
by your leaveunbidden
Not asked for
presumptuously · uninvited · without consent · unasked · arbitrarily
by your leaverudely
Without proper courtesy
brusquely · demandingly · imperiously · high-handedly · unceremoniously
your, yours, yourself, yourselves, leave, leaves, leaving, leaver