- A farewell used when there's a clear expectation of another meeting or interaction in the future, often in a recurring or scheduled context.
- Can sound slightly more formal or structured than casual goodbyes.
Explanation
Origin
- A straightforward phrase indicating a pause before the next instance of meeting or communicating. Used commonly in contexts like serial publications, broadcasts, or meeting series.
Synonyms & Related Expressions
Alternatives
General Alternatives for Farewells (Covering 0078-0090):
Slang/Informal:
- I'm out. / I'm outta here. (Declaring departure)
- Gotta jet. / Gotta bounce. / Gotta roll. / Gotta split. (Need to leave quickly, various slang terms)
- Peace. (Short for Peace out)
- Laters. (Variant of Later)
- Toodles. (UK/Aus, informal, slightly dated/cutesy, possibly from French à tout à l'heure)
- Cheerio. (UK, informal, somewhat dated but friendly, origin uncertain)
- Ta-ta. (UK/Aus/NZ, informal, often used with children, can sound dated, imitative of baby sounds or simple goodbye)
- Ciao. (Italian loanword, common informal goodbye/hello in many places)
- Adios. (Spanish loanword, informal goodbye)
- Keep it real. (AAVE origin, wishing authenticity, informal)
- Stay up. (AAVE origin, encouraging positivity/resilience, informal)
Vulgar/Emphatic (Rare for simple goodbyes, more for expressing annoyance at leaving or telling someone *to* leave):
- Get the fuck out. / GTFO. (Hostile command)
- I'm fucking leaving. / Fuck this, I'm out. (Angry departure)
- Note: Standard farewells are rarely made vulgar for emphasis in the same way greetings or agreements might be.
Milder/Polite/Formal:
- Goodbye. (The standard, suitable for most, slightly more formal than Bye)
- Farewell. (Formal, often implies a significant or long separation)
- Have a pleasant day/evening/weekend. (Polite, often in service contexts)
- It was nice seeing you. / It was nice talking to you. (Polite closing)
- Look forward to seeing you again. (Polite, implies future meeting)
- All the best. (UK/Commonwealth, warm closing, semi-formal)
- Be well. (Warm, slightly formal wish for health/well-being)
- Godspeed. (Older, formal wish for a safe and successful journey)
Situational Appropriateness
- Semi-formal to formal.
- Appropriate for ending scheduled or recurring events (classes, meetings, broadcasts, appointments).
- Can sound a bit stiff or overly formal for very casual goodbyes among close friends.
Misunderstanding Warnings
- Low risk. The meaning is quite literal and clear in context.
Examples
- (Teacher ending a class) That's all for today's lesson. Do the reading for Thursday. Until next time.
- (Host ending a podcast episode) Thanks for tuning in! Join us again next week. Until next time.
- (End of a regular project meeting) Okay, good progress everyone. Let's sync up same time next week. Until next time.
Dialogue
Book Club Host: So, we'll discuss chapters 5 to 8 at our meeting next month.
Member: Sounds good!
Book Club Host: Great discussion today, everyone! Until next time.
Members: Bye! / See you next month!
Social Media Examples
- End of a blog post series: That concludes our series on gardening tips. Hope you found it useful! Until next time, happy planting!
- Signing off from a regular livestream: Thanks for hanging out with me today! We'll be back on Friday. Until next time!
Response Patterns
- See you then.
- Looking forward to it.
- Okay, bye.
- Thanks, you too.
- (Often just nods or acknowledgements in a group setting).
Common Follow-up Questions/Actions
- Usually none, as it implies the next meeting is already understood or scheduled.
Conversation Starter
- No. Ends the current interaction.
Intonation
- Often neutral, professional, or slightly formal.
- Falling intonation, signalling closure for the current session. Stress on next and time. Until next time.
Generation Differences
- Universal in appropriate contexts. Not strongly tied to any specific generation.
Regional Variations
- Universal across English-speaking regions in suitable contexts.