walking papers

A dismissal, as in They're downsizing, and I got my walking papers last week. This slangy expression, first recorded in 1835, refers to a written notice of dismissal.

walking papers

n. a notice of being fired, released, divorced, etc. I hope I don’t get my walking papers today. I need this job.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Jacinta	hah-THEEN-tah (Spanish), hah-SEEN-tah (Latin American Spanish)	Spanish, Portuguese
Baillie	['beili]
Harlan	HAHR-lən	English
Hezekiah	hez-ə-KIE-ə (English)	Biblical
Bieito	bee-AY-taw	Galician
Thor	THOR (English), TOR (Danish), TOOR (Swedish, Norwegian)	Norse Mythology, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian