[Idiom] what is the meaning of " waltz out of somewhere"

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sonyohho

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Can someone help me?
I don't understand that idiom.
For example: I can't just waltz out of here after you brought me back to life.
 

teechar

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Hello sonyohho, and welcome to the forum. :)
In the above context, I would imagine it means I can't walk out of here casually as if everything is normal.
 

emsr2d2

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It's used fairly frequently in BrE. Effectively, it just means "leave" but the nuance is as teechar described - to walk out casually as if there's nothing wrong or as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened.

The shoplifter picked up four bottles of vodka and just waltzed out the door!
My husband came home, cheerfully told me he was leaving me for his personal trainer and waltzed out the front door, leaving me shocked and tearful.
The man was taken to hospital at 9am with a broken leg and four broken ribs, yet he waltzed out at 4pm and went back to work!
 

Skrej

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It may help to know that a waltz is a kind of formal dance, although the term also refers to a particular style of dance music.


You can see an example of a waltz here.
 

sonyohho

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It's used fairly frequently in BrE. Effectively, it just means "leave" but the nuance is as teechar described - to walk out casually as if there's nothing wrong or as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened.

The shoplifter picked up four bottles of vodka and just waltzed out the door!
My husband came home, cheerfully told me he was leaving me for his personal trainer and waltzed out the front door, leaving me shocked and tearful.
The man was taken to hospital at 9am with a broken leg and four broken ribs, yet he waltzed out at 4pm and went back to work!

Thank you so much emsr2d2, your explanation helped me so much. Now I can translate that text.
And thank teechar and Skrej too. Thank you all for replying my post because this is the first time i've posted something on the forum and moreover on foreign forum.
 

jpaigedunn

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Can someone help me?
I don't understand that idiom.
For example: I can't just waltz out of here after you brought me back to life.

The meaning is casual (as sonyohho and teechar mentioned), but I also think of it as having the nuance of being light-hearted and carefree. I think there is an assumption that dancing is an activity people enjoy and something they do to relax and have fun.

It is often as a way to criticize someone's actions or behavior, such as "Don't you come waltzing in here acting like nothing happened!"
 
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Lynxear

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In Canadian English it is reasonably common but it is used usually in a negative sense. I have seen it used when a know-it-all comes into a situation and tries to force their views/solution on others. The "waltzing" is sort of a mild implied sexual slur (real men don't "waltz" ) and you are angry at the intrusion.

Example:

You can't come waltzing in here, spouting off your stupid advice when you have no idea what is going on!!!


It can mean someone is happy and leaving a room. However, I would probably use the idiom "walking on air" to describe that situation. (they are so happy their feet seem hardly to touch the ground)
 
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