the.com/firing
The two-minute meeting that someone rehearsed for three sleepless nights.
means The act of dismissing someone from their job, or the discharging of a weapon, engine, or pottery in a kiln.
from From 'fire,' the Old English 'fȳr,' the same blaze that cooked dinner and razed villages. The 'discharge a gun' sense came from literally setting fire to gunpowder. The 'sack someone' sense is later and more uncertain — the popular tale links it to 'fire out' (to throw someone out), and an old joke about firing AND discharging an employee plays on both meanings, but the connection is more about the abruptness of being expelled than any real spark.
- origin
- Likely from being thrown out, like firing a cannon
- friday myth
- Companies fire late-week to dodge angry Monday backlash
- euphemism graveyard
- Let go, downsized, rightsized, transitioned, offboarded
- escort policy
- Many firms walk you out immediately for security
- clay tablets
- Oldest known firing complaint dates to ancient Sumer
firing of macarthur — president truman removed general douglas macarthur from command in korea on april 11, 1951
firing of james comey — president trump fired fbi director james comey on may 9, 2017
firing of don imus — radio host don imus was fired by msnbc on april 12, 2007 for on-air racist remarks