get the elbow
British slang meaning to be fired or dismissed from a job — the elbow here being the nudge that pushes you out the door.
Definitions
British slang meaning to be fired or dismissed from a job — the elbow here being the nudge that pushes you out the door. It's a slightly more colorful cousin of 'getting the boot' or 'getting the sack.' The phrase captures that unceremonious feeling of being shown the exit with minimal fanfare. It can also sometimes mean being rejected by a romantic partner, adding extra sting to an already unpleasant situation.
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(slang) To be dismissed from employment.
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- give the elbow87%
(transitive, slang, British) To fire (an employee); to end a relationship with someone; to reject someone.
- elbow74%
(US, dated, early 20th-century, _, slang) A detective.
- give someone the boot70%
(idiomatic, British, informal) To fire, sack or eject someone.
- get the push69%
British informal for getting fired from a job — the 'push' here is the shove out the door, real or metaphorical. It captures that particular unpleasant moment when an employer decides your services are no longer required, whether through a formal meeting or something more unceremonious. Less harsh-sounding than 'getting sacked' but just as final, it's the kind of phrase you'd hear in a pub conversation about someone's recent misfortune at work.