Get the elbow
verb
To be dismissed or fired from a job.
After failing to meet his targets for three months in a row, Tom got the elbow.

Often appears as...
- get the elbow from
- give someone the elbow
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Idiomatic
verb
To be rejected or dumped in a relationship.
Susan was not happy in the relationship; eventually, she decided to give John the elbow.

Often appears as...
- give someone the elbow
- get the elbow in relationship
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Idiomatic
verb
To be dismissed or fired from a job.
After failing to meet his targets for three months in a row, Tom got the elbow.

Often appears as...
- get the elbow from
- give someone the elbow
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Idiomatic
verb
To be rejected or dumped in a relationship.
Susan was not happy in the relationship; eventually, she decided to give John the elbow.

Often appears as...
- give someone the elbow
- get the elbow in relationship
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Idiomatic
Definition 1 of 2

Workplace Setting
Used in work-related contexts, often informally, to describe job termination.

After the merger, several employees got the elbow.
Informal Expression
Considered casual; not typically used in formal notices or serious articles about employment.

She read the company email and learned she'd gotten the elbow.
Negative Connotation
Implies an abrupt or unwanted termination, might carry a sense of surprise or injustice.

I can't believe I got the elbow just like that, after years of hard work!
Workplace Setting
Used in work-related contexts, often informally, to describe job termination.

After the merger, several employees got the elbow.
Informal Expression
Considered casual; not typically used in formal notices or serious articles about employment.

She read the company email and learned she'd gotten the elbow.
Negative Connotation
Implies an abrupt or unwanted termination, might carry a sense of surprise or injustice.

I can't believe I got the elbow just like that, after years of hard work!
Workplace Setting
Used in work-related contexts, often informally, to describe job termination.

After the merger, several employees got the elbow.
Informal Expression
Considered casual; not typically used in formal notices or serious articles about employment.

She read the company email and learned she'd gotten the elbow.
Negative Connotation
Implies an abrupt or unwanted termination, might carry a sense of surprise or injustice.

I can't believe I got the elbow just like that, after years of hard work!
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