Goodnight Irene
- idiom
- Informal
- He ended every family gathering with a cheerful 'Goodnight Irene!' that made everyone laugh.
Examples
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Whenever she was tired, she would wave and say, 'Goodnight Irene,' signaling it was time to go to bed.
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After the meeting, Sarah smiled and said, 'Goodnight Irene,' before heading out the door.
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I said Goodnight Irene before leaving the party.
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As the clock struck ten, I whispered, Goodnight Irene.
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After the meeting, Sarah smiled and said, 'Goodnight Irene,' before heading out the door.
-
He ended every family gathering with a cheerful 'Goodnight Irene!' that made everyone laugh.
-
Whenever she was tired, she would wave and say, 'Goodnight Irene,' signaling it was time to go to bed.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Words people say when they leave each other
279
1.1
A friendly informal way to say goodbye when leaving
199
1.9
A speech or action that says goodbye and wishes someone well
53
1.0
A farewell said before going to bed or leaving for the night
2
9.1
The time when a child goes to bed to sleep
2
6.0
A friendly short phrase to say to someone before they go to sleep
1
9.9
A playful word people use to say goodbye
A casual way to say goodbye at the end of the day
A friendly old-fashioned British way to say goodbye
Surface Forms
Morphology
goodnight + Irene
The phrase is directly compositional: 'goodnight' (a valediction) combined with the proper name 'Irene' signals saying goodnight to a person. A B1 learner who knows 'goodnight' and recognizes 'Irene' as a name will readily interpret it as a farewell; any additional playful/song reference is cultural but does not prevent basic compositional understanding.
Etymology
Goodnight Irene comes from an old folk song where the singer repeats 'good night' to a woman named Irene. Because the line was so familiar, people started saying Goodnight Irene as a playful or warm 'goodbye' or 'goodnight' to friends.