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tickler file

American

noun

a file consisting of memoranda, notices, electronic signals, or the like that serves to remind the user of matters that must be attended to.

Etymology

Origin of tickler file

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But once you make that plan— once you put the meeting memo in the tickler file for Wednesday, once you specify the very next action to be taken on the project— you can relax.

From Time • Aug. 14, 2015

Allen remembered a tool from his travel-agent days, the tickler file.

From Time • Aug. 14, 2015

Besides getting paperwork off the desk, the tickler file also removed a source of worry: Once something was filed there, you knew you’d be reminded to deal with it on the appropriate day.

From Time • Aug. 14, 2015

It turns out that the file a secretary keeps to remind her boss to do certain things at certain times is called a tickler file.

From The Creature from Cleveland Depths by Leiber, Fritz

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023