walking papers
Americanplural noun
plural noun
Etymology
Origin of walking papers
An Americanism dating back to 1815–25
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.
Thirty-three years of service and this is what you get: your walking papers, with maybe a medal thrown in.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2020
Andrew was issued his walking papers and ordered to move his offices out of Buckingham Palace in November after a nuclear interview he gave to the BBC in which he defended his friendship with Epstein.
From Fox News ● Jul. 2, 2020
We’re a week away from Black Monday, the NFL’s annual flurry of head coaches being given their walking papers.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 23, 2019
Though Bergen said he was never given an official explanation for his dismissal, he said the producers weren't wrong for giving him his walking papers.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2015
You'll get your walking papers in the morning when the doctor comes.
From A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by Joyce, James
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
