hall pass

[ hawl pas ]

noun

1. a slip of paper or other object authorizing a student to be out of the classroom during a class period:

   I hand out only four hall passes per term—two bathroom passes and two locker passes.

2. permission from one’s spouse or partner to go out independently for any desired activity, sometimes even including sexual encounters with other partners:

   His wife and little person were going out, so he had a hall pass to come with us for a bite to eat.

3. freedom or license to do something not normally allowed:

   Temperatures are starting to drop, but that doesn't mean we have a hall pass to halt our outdoor workouts.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hall pass¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

But in the court of public opinion, it is Wilson who seems to have gotten the hall pass.

From The Daily Beast