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Glite Dictionary
order of the boot

order of the boot

1 8.8
An instruction to fire someone from their job
  • noun
  • Informal
: despido
  • Facing public outrage, the CEO was quietly given the order of the boot.

Examples

  • After the audit uncovered fraud, the entire team got the order of the boot.

  • Anyone caught breaking the rules risks receiving the order of the boot.

  • He received an order of the boot.

  • She got an order of the boot!

  • After the audit uncovered fraud, the entire team got the order of the boot.

  • Anyone caught breaking the rules risks receiving the order of the boot.

  • Facing public outrage, the CEO was quietly given the order of the boot.

Synonyms

dismissal
vsorder of the boot
51 3.3

To remove someone from their job against their will

is specifically a command telling someone to leave their role
firing
vsorder of the boot
  • Informal
27 3.7

The act of removing someone from their job

is the phrase used to command departure from a job
ouster
vsorder of the boot
16 7.4

Removing someone from a place like a home by force or law

is a command to leave a role rather than a legal removal
kick-out
vsorder of the boot
1 4.0

The act of forcing someone to leave a place or group

is a specific command aimed at ending employment rather than general expulsion
marching orders
vsorder of the boot
  • Informal
6.8

A notice telling someone they must leave a job

is a direct command rather than a casual notice

Antonyms

retention
44 4.2

Keeping something so you still have it

employment
5 1.8

The act of hiring someone to work at a company

Surface Forms

order of the boot singular
orders of the boot plural

Morphology

order + of + the + boot

While 'order' is transparent, the use of 'boot' to mean dismissal (as in 'give someone the boot') is an idiomatic extension of the noun 'boot' (footwear) and not predictable from its literal meaning. The phrase 'order of the boot' is not a straightforward compositional structure and would likely be interpreted literally by a B1 learner, so the intended meaning 'to be dismissed' would not be derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Order of the boot comes from the strong image of a boot kicking someone out. Because an 'order' is a command, the picture of being kicked away by a boot became a way to say 'to be dismissed' from a job.