This is always a tough one and one that I have DEFINITELY had to deal with time and again. I find the best solution is to say that you've had a great time but best be going to bed. Usually people understand that you've had a busy night of being hostess with the mostess and are allowed to be tired before they are. Good luck!

when someone gets a foot cut off with a riding lawn mower (like in Mad Men). I generally end the party. Also when some gets out a tazer. When some drinks the last beer. When someone decides to call the cops and of course when you find pee anywhere it shouldn't be... '

usually just shout "Five-O" and every books it. But if that fails, I usually have the security guards handle it or I just start throwing blows (that injury release at the binging of the party has its perks)

Seriously this topic is crazy. Handling guest who want to stay is a "high school party skill" are we really still at that level Here?

That's always a hard one to deal with. If making coffee, cleaning up dishes, and blowing out candles does not work. Then, blatantly saying "It was great to see you, but I have to go to bed because tomorrow I have to [INSERT ACTIVITY]"

I set an end time, and include it in the invitation. Then, when that time arrives, I gently remind my guests that they're getting kicked out. Invariably, people stay later than the state end time, but usually I'm in bed within forty minutes of that time.

Never really have this problem. Those who stay way past the "end" are usually the people we enjoy spending time with the most. Those we don't, usually leave at a good time on their own.

The problem is when those we want to stay longer have to leave early because they get to bed early or for whatever reason. Wish they would stay just a little bit longer!

My college student neighbors had a party that got out of hand. When I asked them to tone it down (at two or three in the morning) they admitted they needed help, and asked if they could tell their guests that I was going to call the police if everyone didn't scram. I told them it was fine to blame it on the cranky old lady next door, and sure enough, the guests left expeditiously and I got a little sleep.

I wanted to add, I love this shot. Alison Brie's face is fantastic. I couldn't get over it when I realized that she is the actress on Community who plays Annie. It took me two seasons of Community to put two and two together. LOL

I haven’t really ever had a time when “Well, I guess we should call it a night!” didn’t work. But after one time when I literally had to start turning off lights, I received the tip to dramatically change the background music. It’s jarring enough to break up the mood. So far, it’s worked!

this happened to me on thanksgiving. an aquaintence had a bit too much to drink and was lingering for HOURS after all the other guests had left. we didn't want him driving drunk, but at the same time-- we barely knew him and he was way overstaying his welcome. isn't there a time when one knows to take a nap in the car? we live in LA-- he wasn't going to freeze. frankly, i just went to bed and let my boyfriend mainline him espresso.

I have an acquaintance who, when invited to a party at someone's house, always brings an overnight bag with him because he ALWAYS drinks to excess and doesn't want to drive home. I never have/never will invite him to my place, but he's a popular party guest. He uses the excuse of "I live in town and most of my friends live in the suburbs" as a reason not to call cab, but he does this at parties where he lives a short distance away as well. I have stopped holding anything other than small (total of 8 people maximum) parties (always dinner, never cocktails or just "a party") to avoid this kind of thing. A lot of people are totally clueless/manners free.

Call the cops on my own party. I've done it. But a better trick is to invite everyone out for one last drink at a nearby bar. Have one, and then scram, and don't unlock the door for ANYONE.

We start our parties pretty early in the evening, and usually end at midnight with a planned trip to the bar. If the clean-up doesn't get 'em, just make the general announcement that you're off to the favored watering-hole, shuffle everyone out lock the door behind you...then 'Oops, I forgot my wallet, brb" and off to bed. People that do want to keep the party alive can, and others can go home.

I'll probably feel differently once I'm old or have kids, but for now, we tend to love having guests even when they stay until 3 am.

Were lucky because we have a futon and two couches - if we feel tired then all we have to do is offer friends a place to crash. At that point they'll leave or go to bed!

Blow out the candles, turn up the lights, turn off the music, and start purposefully cleaning up--in other words, switch from host/hostess mode yourself. There's nothing like the sight of a big post-party mess to make people realize they need to leave before they get sucked into helping.

GTFO. subtle. dignified.

Clean up time usually makes people flee. Although one time we had this great party & when we went to bed there were still a few people sitting around the fire pit trying to kill the last of the beer and when I got up to make breakfast they were all still there!! It was cool..everyone from the night before came back for breakfast so the party just picked right back up...Good Times.

Yawn and then announce, "Alright guys, I'm about to crash soon."

(I do feel it's my civic obligation to let drunk hot guys crash overnight, though.)

"I'll probably feel differently once I'm old or have kids, but for now, we tend to love having guests even when they stay until 3 am."

I have 2 (and they're not young ones either) and we still don't mind guests staying until 3 am... or staying the night because they drank a bit much. It's what guest rooms and couches were made for.

Now if it becomes dude that camps on your frelling couch for THREE frelling nights, then there is an issue and its okay to tell him to gtfo and not invite him over again ever! (not that I've had that happen...)

With the normal people, usually the husband wants to stay up with them so i end up saying good night and going to bed. Occasionally I go down in my PJs and tell them to quiet down or get out. Usually they put the house back the way it was before they came over and pick up all the empty containers from around the house and go get donuts if they stayed the night. It's not a bad set up...

Hide the beer!

I have two options that always work. The first is that I tell everyone ahead of time that at a specific time I will be going to get coffee, and they're all invited. That always works because who doesn't want coffee 24/7?

The second is saying "Alright yall, get the hell out. I'm sleepy". My friends know that when it's over, if you're still at my place I will literally give you the boot, Texas style.

In response to grumpy poster near the top: sounds like a lot of people already have their own way of doing this, so to answer your question, no, we don't seem to be at the teenage level. But new ideas could always be a good thing, and look how many funny stories we've got here now! Sometimes these posts are more about sharing and laughing and "perfecting" a skill. So lay off the grumpiness! Go conga or something!

I usually have finger foods ready to serve. When I know I can go an hour or so more I'll start setting out some veggies and dip & crackers/cheese, with pepperoni/& sausage. Some pastries. I make sure there's something to satisfy just about everyone and that seems to work fine.

Some posters say to turn off lights.

Do the opposite and turn the lights up, collect empty glasses without offering a re-fill, offer to call cabs, and start cleaning up and doing dishes.

Your closest friends will help you clean up and you can even enlist them to help you get the other revellers out.

I had an overnight party guest that would not take the hint to leave the next day! I started cleaning up, then vacuuming, and finally started doing laundry - it didn't work. Finally my husband and I made up that we had to leave for an appointment and drove around the block. That's the only thing that got the guy to leave!

I've fallen asleep before, and guests were gone when I woke up. My partner also regularly falls asleep at our parties.

My best bet is to have containers handy and offer: "Why don't you come to the kitchen and pick out what leftovers you'd like to take with you before you leave." While they're filling their containers, get their jackets ready. When the lid is snapped, hug and say you really appreciate them coming, so great to see them, do it again soon, etc. You're gracious, generous, and gentle but still genuine.

Most of the time, my friends get the idea to leave when I say "It's been fun, but I've got to go to bed." I know two people though that don't get that and have stayed at my place for hours afterward, even when I looked at the clock thirty minutes later and went, "Damn, it's X now? Wow, that's late."

I hate people who don't get hints.

I read the local news immediately before reading this post last night. Lead story was a homicide at a party: "I put my hands on him. He wouldn't leave so I had to shoot him"
Alcohol can lead to boorish behavior or worse.
Be careful of who you invite to parties,
oly nice people who are grateful to take their goody container and go home happy.

Tell people, 'I'm going to bed so unless you're coming with me, it's time to go.' Has cleared the room real quick :(

oly=only
Really, I can't harp enough about the problem of giving people alcohol and sending them out.
My child rides a motorcycle.

@isaachuffman, AT does theme months. This month is Entertaining. So, yes, this is where we are. Holidays typically have a lot of parties, so these issues come up!

We are regarded as a "fun" couple, but my partner lacks any semblance of "party's over" intuition, and often has to be dragged away from social events before everybody is down for the count. I don't mind closing down a bar every now and again, but somebody's home is a different story. While she is content to crash out on a couch when the hosts pass out and keep the party going into brunch the following day, I have had to implement the following strategy to avoid overstays:

1. Arrive early-ish (but not early) so we get max face time.

2. Drink heartily at first, and then switch to water - sobering up while everybody else is getting drunker makes me want to leave.

3. Note when the other "fun" people start to talk about leaving or being tired and get my partner involved in the conversation.

4. Get her to offhandedly entertain the idea of leaving soonish, and then call a cab a few minutes later.

5. Say my own goodbye to our hosts.

6. Oh look, our cab us here! Bye, guys, see you next time!

When people are at my house too late I offer to make coffee and/or call them my favorite cab, and if that doesn't work I put on my pajamas.

"usually just shout "Five-O" and every books it." LOL @ISAACHUFFMAN

Entering the room with your guests' coats over your arm and handing them out randomly is a really effective hint...

All it's ever taken for me is to turn the lights up and start loading the dishwasher. We're all in our 40s now, busy with various responsibilities, and not particularly interested in partying all night long.

Does anyone else find it disturbing that hosts are providing alcohol then "have trouble" getting the drunks to drive home?

Anyway, I love the idea of going out to get rid of guests, or anything else that lets me lock my door. We generally end the party one hour earlier than we expect people to leave that way there's no being kept up.

The problem as guests is that I'm usually asking my boyfriend to leave the party, the host is saying goodbye but the host's boyfriend and my boyfriend are lounging around talking about sports all night.

Party's over! usually does it.

My partner is a funny, jovial guy, and when things get a bit late, he calls out a funny, always giggle inducing, "well this was nice, thanks for coming, and THANKS for LEAVING!"

Everyone has a chuckle, and then everyone makes to leave with no hard feelings!

I try not to invite over people who I wouldn't want sleeping over... you never know when a party is gonna last and I feel guilty sending people home at 3am. So when the mood starts to die down, I set up the air mattress and bring in pillows for the couch and lounge chair and anyone who isn't incapacitated realizes it's time to head out. Usually, people who weren't even planning on spending the night will end up passing out, but that's totally fine with me-- means I get to see my friends for breakfast too!

I agree with other posters' concern about alcohol. I always offer guests the option of staying over if they've been drinking. It's no big deal to make up a spare bed or let them have the couch.

When my friends noticed I changed into my pajamas, start turning lights off, and put volume down......and say "Alright Homies"