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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

pink slip en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Etymology

From pink + slip (“piece of paper”), referring to the colour of the paper, in some cases as it was in past, and not necessarily present, practice. * (automobile title): Most likely from California, where the title is printed on a smaller index-card sized piece of pink paper; in other states the title is typically a full-size 8 1/2" x 11" sheet, usually printed on blue or blue-green paper with borders, similar to a stock certificate.

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic, metonymically) A notice of termination of employment.
    • From 2002 to 2004, many individuals received pink slips as a result of a slow economy. 2008, Chioma Isiadinso, The Best Business Schools' Admissions Secrets, page 4:
    • Pink slips are being handed out faster in corporate America than you can say, “Recession? What recession?” 2003, Erica Orloff, Kathy Levinson, The 60-Second Commute: A Guide to Your 24/7 Home Office Life, page 139:
    • 2008, Warren Richard Plunkett, Raymond F. Attner, Gemmy S. Allen, Management: Meeting and Exceeding Customer Expectations, Thomson, 9th Edition, page 400, Oracle chose a weekend in which to notify PeopleSoft employees of their termination: the company sent them pink slips via express mail.
  2. (US) The title document for an automobile.
    • But when she visited the bank, all she found inside were the pink slip to her car, a passport she′d acquired two years ago before a vacation trip to Australia and a few other documents. 1997, Jacqueline Diamond, Million-Dollar Mommy, Harlequin, unnumbered page:
  3. (Australia, New-South-Wales) An automobile roadworthiness inspection certificate.
    • If the car is still currently registered, then you can drive it to anyone, anywhere to get the pink slip. If its just out of registration ( within 3 months of the rego expiring) then you take it to the nearest one ( or so they say) 2002 March 3, Terry, “Pink slip inspection?”, in aus.legal (Usenet):
    • My car mechanic does the pink slip for my bike - he doesn't know anything about them but does know that I keep it in tip top condition. 2001 March 21, Sharon, “Obtaining Pink Slip”, in aus.motorcycles (Usenet):
    • Demand to see the pink slip (certificate of roadworthiness), as it proves the car is safe. 2003, Margo Daly, Anne Dehne, Rough Guide to Australia, 6th edition, page 194:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
pink slips Number=Plur lexicographic

Coordinates

green slip

Relateds

pink sheet

Synonyms

P45 (employment termination notice)

Translations (7)

fi rekisteriote (title for an automobile) · nl C4 (notice of termination of employment) · th ซองขาว (notice of termination of employment) · es título automotor / automotriz (title for an automobile) · fi katsastustodistus (auto inspection certificate) · de blauer Brief (notice of termination of employment) · fi irtisanomisilmoitus (notice of termination of employment)

pink slip en · VERB

Pronunciation

Etymology

From pink + slip (“piece of paper”), referring to the colour of the paper, in some cases as it was in past, and not necessarily present, practice. * (automobile title): Most likely from California, where the title is printed on a smaller index-card sized piece of pink paper; in other states the title is typically a full-size 8 1/2" x 11" sheet, usually printed on blue or blue-green paper with borders, similar to a stock certificate.

Meanings

  1. (US, informal, transitive) To terminate the employment of.
    • After a week of anxiously watching the mailbox through little Japanese binoculars his wife had given him for a going-away present (she'd left him the day after he was pink-slipped) and getting nothing but sucker-list stuff through the regular deliveries that came each noon, he was jolted out of a boozy, black-and-white dream of jumping off The Stack into rush-hour traffic, by an insistent banging at the door. 1966 March, Thomas Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49, New York, N.Y.: Bantam Books, published November 1976, →ISBN, page 84:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
pink slips Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
pink slipped Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
pink slipped Tense=Past lexicographic
pink slipping Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Synonyms

let go · give the chop · serve notice · decruit · sack · remove · make redundant · give someone the old heave-ho · retrench · lay off · can · give someone their cards · discard · give someone the heave-ho · promote to customer · term · dismiss · give the axe · let someone go · fire · sack · axe · throw out · pink slip · give someone the boot · fire · shit-can · unhire · give the elbow · downsize · discharge · dehire · terminate · let go