by-your-leave

American  

[bahy-yer-leev] / ˈbaɪ yərˈliv /

noun

1. an apology for not having sought permission.

---

by-your-leave British  

noun

1. a request for permission (esp in the phrase without so much as a by-your-leave )

---

Etymology

Origin of by-your-leave

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

If Chris’ idea of “doing you a favor” is unilaterally telling your kid “Hey, call me Dad” without so much as a by-your-leave beforehand, I’m concerned about what else he might think is a favor.

From Slate

“I am so outraged that they would do this without so much as a by-your-leave,” she told reporters.

From New York Times

Without so much as a by-your-leave, Microsoft sneaks anything from three to six gigabytes of code into a Windows 7 or 8.1 PC, to speed up the transition process to Windows 10.

From Economist

Not for the first time, the law is a lagging indicator of where society is going without asking the government’s by-your-leave.

From Washington Post

And yet Hungary is vilified while Greece merrily nods hundreds of thousands of refugees up to Europe without so much as a by-your-leave.

From Economist