Summary4 min read

Kennedy Saves the World

Episode: The Jig is Up – An Ode to the Irish Goodbye

Host: Kennedy
Date: March 17, 2026

Episode Overview

On this St. Patrick’s Day special, Kennedy enthusiastically explores the “Irish Goodbye”—the act of leaving a social event without bidding farewell. Drawing inspiration from a recent etiquette piece by Allison Cheperdak in The Wall Street Journal, Kennedy blends her trademark wit and personal anecdotes to champion the art, etiquette, and even the freedom of slipping away quietly. The episode is a lighthearted, insightful meditation on social norms, personal boundaries, and what truly makes for meaningful connections.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why St. Patrick’s Day Is Perfect for the Irish Goodbye

Kennedy shares her love for St. Patrick’s Day and the vibrant Irish pub scene in Midtown, New York City. (00:00)
She ties the day’s spirit of fun and camaraderie to the Irish Goodbye, noting, "Today is maybe the best day of the year to practice the Irish goodbye." (00:55)

The Etiquette of Leaving Without Goodbye

Referencing Allison Cheperdak’s WSJ article, Kennedy notes that slipping out can be kinder than awkward, rushed goodbyes.
- “When you gracefully back out of a party and float away, in her estimation, that can actually be a wonderful thing to do. And that can be very good etiquette.” (01:26)
It’s not the same as ghosting or ignoring friends; it’s a conscious choice made in the spirit of sensitivity.

Cultural Interpretations of the Irish Goodbye

Kennedy highlights how various cultures blame others for this practice—English call it French, French call it English, etc.—but it’s essentially universal.
- "The English blame it on the French, the French blame it on the English, the Germans blame it on the Polish, and the Irish have never even heard of it." (01:53)

The Value of Presence Over Farewell

In Irish (and many other) cultures, the most important thing is showing up, not necessarily saying goodbye.
- “No one keeps track of who they said goodbye to. But when someone actually shows up and you hug and you have that initial connection, that is the important thing that the host will take away from a party.” (02:58)
Rushed or forced goodbyes can feel insincere and interrupt the spirit of the gathering.

Personal Anecdotes & Social Wisdom

Kennedy shares her own reputation for the Irish Goodbye:
- "I could show you text after text from my friend groups with lines like, 'Are you still here?' The answer, if you have to ask, is always a resounding no." (04:25)
She tells a humorous story about a woman who executes an Irish Goodbye on a first date—much to Kennedy’s admiration:
- "He got up to use the restroom and she looked at me and she's like, 'He thinks I'm going to the bathroom. I'm leaving.' And she got up and walked away. I high fived her. I was very proud of her." (05:04)

Irish Goodbye as Legend-Making

Kennedy references the band AWOL Nation as an example: Aaron, the lead singer, was nicknamed "AWOL" for habitually leaving parties unannounced, which inspired the band’s name.
- “The band is called AWOL Nation because every party he went to from high school on... he would just go AWOL.” (05:45)

Encouragement and “Permission” to Irish Goodbye

She wraps up by giving her listeners “special dispensation” to Irish Goodbye guilt-free, courtesy of Cheperdak and her own enthusiastic endorsement.
- “Go, be Irish, wear green, kiss strangers, and when you're bored of all of it, just leave.” (06:17)
- “You have been given special dispensation to do so by a writer, an etiquette coach for the Wall Street Journal.” (06:26)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Kennedy on the essence of the Irish Goodbye:
- “When you gracefully back out of a party and float away, in her estimation, that can actually be a wonderful thing to do.” (01:26)
On cultural perspectives:
- “The English blame it on the French, the French blame it on the English, the Germans blame it on the Polish—and the Irish have never even heard of it.” (01:53)
Kennedy on social presence:
- “No one keeps track of who they said goodbye to. But when someone actually shows up and you hug and you have that initial connection, that is the important thing.” (02:58)
Fun with her own reputation:
- “Are you still here? The answer, if you have to ask, is always a resounding no.” (04:29)
On owning your departure, legend-style:
- “Not only is it good etiquette, it also makes you a legend.” (05:58)

Important Timestamps

00:00 – Kennedy introduces St. Patrick's Day and her love for the holiday.
01:26 – Discussion of Allison Cheperdak’s WSJ piece defending the Irish Goodbye.
01:53 – Exploration of cultural variations and names for the Irish Goodbye.
02:58 – Reflection on presence at gatherings versus formal goodbyes.
04:25 – Personal anecdotes about Kennedy’s "legendary" Irish Goodbyes.
05:04 – The story of the first date Irish Goodbye.
05:45 – The AWOL Nation anecdote.
06:17 – Kennedy’s closing encouragement to embrace the Irish Goodbye.

Tone, Style, and Closing Thoughts

The episode is delivered with Kennedy’s signature blend of humor, relatability, and cultural commentary. She uses personal stories and social observations to both entertain and gently challenge listeners’ assumptions about what’s polite and meaningful in social situations. Kennedy’s take is direct, compassionate, and joyfully subversive—a celebration of both Irish tradition and personal freedom.

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Transcript5 lines

[00:00]
A
Foreign. Welcome to this episode of Kennedy Saves the world. It is St. Patrick's Day. I love St. Patrick's Day so much. It is my favorite holiday around the Fox Building because there are not only a ton of Irish pubs. And yes, of course, I'm going to Langon's later to. To luxuriously languish at Langens. And I hope you go, too. I hope you find, if you're in New York City, find a midtown Irish pub and just make the best time of it, because St. Patrick's Day is awesome. We have the St. Patrick's Day parade, and hopefully you can partake in that as well, wherever you are. And it is the day we celebrate all things Irish. We feel Irish, we pretend to be Irish. And today is maybe the best day of the year to practice the Irish goodbye. There was a wonderful piece in the Wall Street Journal by an etiquette coach named Allison. I'm going to say her last name wrong, but it's, it's not completely intuitive how you pronounce it. Cheaper Dak. C, H, E, P, E, R, D, A, K. And so I'm going to say Cheaper Dak. She wrote a piece about In Defense of the Irish Goodbye. And finally someone stood up and said it. When you gracefully back out of a party and float away, in her estimation, that can actually be a wonderful thing to do. And that can be very good etiquette. That can be a kind and thoughtful thing to do. It is not the same thing as ghosting your friends, ignoring a text, or simply disappearing from a romantic entanglement, because oftentimes. And it's funny because as she points out, every culture has a different name for the Irish goodbye. The English blame it on the French, the French blame it on the English, the Germans blame it on the Polish, and the Irish have never even heard of it. That is how imbued it might be in their culture. But it is actually a very kind and thoughtful thing to do because it's if you know, in Irish society, as she points out, it is very warm and welcoming and social gatherings are such an important part of the culture and feeling like you are a part of something, that saying goodbye could take up to 30 minutes. And if you rush that, if you rush the goodbye and if you're in a hurry and you're looking at the watch, you look rude. You look like you don't even want to be there. And being at this engagement in the first place is a total afterthought for you. And that is the more offensive thing than just simply finding the door and sneaking out. Because then when people see you at a party, that is the most important interaction that you have. It's like, oh, you're here. Yes, my heart is full and complete. But if you deprive someone of a hug and a farewell, you it's not the worst thing in the world because what they remember is connecting with you in the first place. No one keeps track of who they said goodbye to. But when someone actually shows up and you hug and you have that initial connection, that is the important thing that the host will take away from a party. Don't go anywhere more Kennedy saves the world right after this.
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[04:02]
A
If you are going to a gathering, if you're going to a St. Patrick's Day lunch or an evening soiree, or if you're meeting up with friends in order to have a Guinness fueled pub crawl, then try the Irish goodbye. No one's going to be mad. I would like to think I'm famous for it. I could show you text after text from my friend groups with lines like are you still here? The answer, if you have to ask, is always a resounding no. Because I'm one of those people when I've had my fill of a social gathering, whether, you know, it's a concert, a club, a bar, not a restaurant. Because when you're sitting with people, it is weird to just get up and leave. But I did see that recently. I was at a group dinner and one of the guys brought a first date. I spoke to her for a little while at dinner. He got up to use the restroom and she looked at me and she's like, he thinks I'm going to the bathroom. I'm leaving. And she got up and walked away. I high fived her. I was very proud of her. She, she was miserable. He came back and he's like, is she in the bathroom? And I was like, I think she left. He's like, no, I don't think so. I think she's in the bathroom. It's like, okay, well, let's wait here for six hours and see if that diarrhea ever resolved itself. So, yes, go try the Irish Goodbye. I've done it for years. There's nothing wrong with it. And AWOL Nation, the band. Aaron, the lead singer of Awall Nation. The band is called Awall Nation because every party he went to from high school on, he, he would just go awol. And his nickname, because his first name is Aaron, became awol. So now he has a band called AWOL Nation because he just leaves. And if that is part of your personal reputation, not only is it good etiquette, it also makes you a legend. So go, be Irish, wear green, kiss strangers, and when you're bored of all of it, just leave. You have been given special dispensation to do so by a writer, an etiquette coach for the Wall Street Journal. This has been Kennedy Saves the World. I'm Kennedy. Listen ad free. With a Fox News Podcast plus subscription on Apple Podcast and Amazon prime, members can listen to this show ad free on the Amazon Music app. Oh, go ahead and leave me a review while you're there. I'd love to hear what you have to say. You've been listening to Kennedy Saves the World on the Fox News Podcast Network.