So long

[Nightmare85]

Hello,
I know what "So long" means, but I always wondered why it is like it is.
Is it something like, "It will take so long to see you again." or what could it be?
To me it always sounded a bit sad when someone said, "So long.".

Cheers!

[Vidor]

"So long"--

--essentially synonymous with "goodbye". Has a connotation of sadness in the same sense that saying goodbye can be associated with sadness. Also has something of a connotation of a longer goodbye or separation.

[birdeen's call]

Thanks for the question, I wouldn't have checked otherwise:

Re: So Long
Re: So Long
Online Etymology Dictionary

[NikkiBarber]

Isn't there a similar expression in German? In Danish we say "Farvel saa laenge" which means "Goodbye so long." I seem to remember hearing something like that in German too.
It is interesting that there are so many theories as to the origin of the phrase.
I agree that "so long" sounds like it implies a longer separation, but oddly enough it is just the opposite in Danish where people often say it even when they are just sending a child off to school for the day.

[Nightmare85]

Thank you for your replies.

Isn't there a similar expression in German? In Danish we say "Farvel saa laenge" which means "Goodbye so long." I seem to remember hearing something like that in German too.

Maybe there is and maybe I use it, but right now I'm not sure...

Cheers!

[BobK]

Isn't there a similar expression in German? In Danish we say "Farvel saa laenge" which means "Goodbye so long." I seem to remember hearing something like that in German too.
It is interesting that there are so many theories as to the origin of the phrase.
I agree that "so long" sounds like it implies a longer separation, but oddly enough it is just the opposite in Danish where people often say it even when they are just sending a child off to school for the day.

Incidentally, there is in English a fairly archaic word 'Farewell'. Etymologically this means 'have a good journey' (not unlike the French bon voyage). A friend of mine who had lived in Kenya used to say 'Go well' with the same meaning.

Not many people say 'Farewell' nowadays - except dialectally. Fans of early Bob Dylan songs will have met it in the song Don't think twice, it's all right.

b