You're fired!
Encyclopedia
"You're fired!" is an informal exclamation commonly associated with an employer informing the employee of his or her dismissal
, an involuntary termination of employment
for a reason and or reasons often perceived to be the fault of the employee.
Firing
Dismissal is the termination of employment by an employer against the will of the employee. Though such a decision can be made by an employer for a variety of reasons, ranging from an economic downturn to performance-related problems on the part of the employee, being fired has a strong stigma in...
, an involuntary termination of employment
Termination of employment
-Involuntary termination:Involuntary termination is the employee's departure at the hands of the employer. There are two basic types of involuntary termination, known often as being "fired" and "laid off." To be fired, as opposed to being laid off, is generally thought of to be the employee's...
for a reason and or reasons often perceived to be the fault of the employee.
Catchphrase
The exclamation is popularly associated with the following people as their catchphrase:- Vince McMahonVince McMahonVincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
, an American professional wrestling promoter and the chairman of World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
, who utters the line in a raspy voice as part of a wrestling angle when "terminating" one of his wrestling personalities of his or her job or when threatening to do so. This was later used by Eric BischoffEric BischoffEric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, and finally Paul HeymanPaul HeymanPaul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film....
. - Donald TrumpDonald TrumpDonald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
, an American business executive and entrepreneur, who uses the line as he eliminates a candidate on his U.S. reality show The ApprenticeThe Apprentice (U.S. TV series)The Apprentice is an American reality television show hosted by real estate magnate, businessman and television personality Donald Trump, created by Mark Burnett and broadcast on NBC...
and has attempted to file a trademark application for the term with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, both with and without the exclamation mark. - Lord SugarAlan SugarAlan Michael Sugar, Baron Sugar is a British entrepreneur, media personality and political advisor. From humble origins in the East End of London, Sugar now has an estimated fortune of £770m , and was ranked 89th in the Sunday Times Rich List 2011...
, a British businessman, who uses the line on the UK version of The Apprentice when he eliminates a candidate from the show. - Cosmo Spacely, the fictional chief executive of Spacely Sprockets and boss to George JetsonGeorge JetsonThe following is a list of major characters in The Jetsons. The Jetsons is an animated television comedy produced by Hanna-Barbera and first broadcast in prime-time on ABC as part of the 1962–63 United States network television schedule. Additional episodes were produced from 1985–1987, with the...
from the animated TV series The JetsonsThe JetsonsThe Jetsons is a animated American sitcom that was produced by Hanna-Barbera, originally airing in prime-time from 1962–1963 and again from 1985–1987...
. Usually said with much bluster whenever Mr. Spacely is really annoyed with his employee, and prefixed with "JETSON!!..." - Mr. Slate, a fictional character and boss to Fred FlintstoneFred FlintstoneFrederick Joseph “Fred” Flintstone, also known as Fred W. Flintstone or Frederick J. Flintstone, is the protagonist of the animated sitcom The Flintstones, which aired during prime-time on ABC during the original series' run from 1960-66. He is the husband of Wilma Flintstone and father of Pebbles...
, from the animated TV series The FlintstonesThe FlintstonesThe Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
, at a construction company where he works. Usually said with much bluster whenever Mr. Slate is really annoyed with his employee, and prefixed with "FLINTSTONE!!..." - Private EyePrivate EyePrivate Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
, a British satirical magazine, which has the editor use the phrase at the end of articles spoofing lazy or repetitive journalism: (You're fired. Ed.) - Benson, a fictional anthropomorphic gumball machine in Cartoon Network's Regular ShowRegular ShowRegular Show is an American animated television series created by J. G. Quintel...
, who shouts the line with much anger whenever he's threatening the show's main characters, Mordecai and Rigby, who work as groundskeepers at a park under his supervision.