walking papers
6
7.5
- noun
- /ˈwɔːkɪŋ ˈpeɪpərz/
- Informal
:
carta de despido
- When the company underwent layoffs, she received her walking papers unexpectedly.
- get walking papers
- gave me my walking papers
- handed me my walking papers
Examples
-
Well, you just got your walking papers, didn't you, Hartmann?
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Even more disturbing was the way the season ended, with Coach Hayes lashing out at an opposing player on national television and ultimately being handed his walking papers by the university where he had faithfully served for 28 years.
Blog text (27) -
I got my walking papers.
-
I gave him his walking papers.
-
The doctors gave me my walking papers today.
Fiction book (2000) -
Sounds like you're getting your walking papers.
-
Looks like Jonesy got his walking papers.
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And that's when the Quoyles was given their walking papers.
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As you have probably heard by now, the Idaho Vandals have given Robb Akey his walking papers and have promoted Jason Gesser to interim head coach while they conduct their search for Akey's successor.
Blog text (14) -
After the meeting, the manager handed him his walking papers, ending his employment.
Synonyms
276
3.4
A formal written message saying someone will end an agreement
11
4.0
A written notice telling a worker they have lost their job
1
6.8
A notice telling someone they must leave a job
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The elements 'walking' (movement/leave) and 'papers' (official documents) combine to suggest documents that cause someone to leave — so a learner could infer a general sense of job-related dismissal. However, the exact idiomatic meaning 'notice of dismissal' and its informal register are culturally specific and not fully predictable from the parts alone, making it only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Walking papers may come from the image of being handed official papers that tell you to start walking away from your job. That's why the phrase means 'to be fired' or 'given notice to leave'.