Chinese language vocabulary 汉语词汇 炒鱿鱼 (chǎo yóuyú) Fire sb.

炒鱿鱼 (chǎo yóuyú) Fire sb./give the sack

Usage:

 

炒鱿鱼原来是一道菜的名字，后来引申为工作被解雇、被辞退的意思。以前人们外出工作都要带着“铺 盖卷（把被子和褥子卷在一起的行李）”，如果被老板辞退了，不能再工作了，就要卷起铺盖卷走人（离开）。所以，那时候“卷铺盖走人”就是被辞退、解雇的意 思。后来人们发现，炒鱿鱼时，鱿鱼会卷起来，和卷起来的“铺盖卷”很像，于是就用炒鱿鱼来代替“卷起铺盖卷走人”这个说法了。也可以说“炒了××的鱿鱼” 或“××被炒了鱿鱼”。

“炒鱿鱼” originally is the name for a dish (literally meaning frying cuttlefish). Later, it refers to being fired. Before, people went out for work taking along their bedrolls. If they were fired, they should carry their bedrolls and leave. So “卷铺盖走人(packing up and leaving)” indicated being fired. People then found cuttlefish would roll up when fried, resembling the bedrolls. So from then on, “炒鱿鱼” is used to refer to being fired instead of “卷起铺盖卷走人”. It can also be expressed by “炒了××的鱿鱼” or “××被炒了鱿鱼”.

Sentences:

 

1、Tā méiyǒu wánchéng rènwu ,suǒyǐ bèi gōngsī chǎo yóuyú le.
他没有完成任务，所以被公司炒鱿鱼了。

He was fired by the company because he did not fulfill the task.

 

2、Zhège gōngzuò wǒ bú gàn le , wǒ chǎo le lǎobǎn de yóuyú.
这个工作我不干了，我炒了老板的鱿鱼。

I quit the job and fired my boss.