Redditors Are Explaining How to Get Out of Awkward Social Situations & It’s Hilariously Helpful

Written by

Taryn Williford
Taryn Williford
Taryn is a writer, editor, content strategist, and homebody from Atlanta. I might have helped you declutter your apartment through the magic of a well-paced email newsletter. Or maybe you know me from The Pickle Factory Loft on Instagram.
published Oct 25, 2017
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For an introvert and homebody like me, it takes a lot of energy to get psyched enough to head out to a party. Mainly because I just know I’ll get stuck in a conversation about something I’d rather not talk about, probably with someone I’d rather not talk to.

In those situations — where a once-pleasant conversation takes a turn for the worse and I need a fast out — I find it helps to heed the Boy Scout maxim and “be prepared.” Prepared, in this case, means arming myself with a little bit of borrowed wit: Memorizing some other social butterfly’s clever trick for exiting a conversation.

There’s a whole host of good advice in a recent Reddit thread, birthed from one simple question: What’s your best quick escape line or move? Ranging from hilarious to helpful, you might find just the thing for your next party trick.

From the Three Stooges School of Socializing:

Ah, the old MLM pitch:

This just might work long enough to escape:

Try the Midwest phone handoff:

A little TMI?

For changing the subject:

This one requires a bit of pre-planning, but it seems foolproof:

A lot of good ammo for your awkward-proof arsenal, for sure. But I still think I’ll fall back to my old standard (also suggested highly in the Reddit thread):

The classic:

How do you gracefully exit a conversation at a party?