PE 11/12 Laying Someone Off

I don’t get it! This is completely out of the blue.

* out of the blue: completely unexpectedly

= came out of nowhere; came out of left field; so sudden

ex> The protest started out of the blue shortly after the new law was passed.

Oh, please, Jeb! You had to see the writing on the wall for months. You can’t come in here day after day, make no sales calls, and still keep your job.

* see the writing on the wall: to know in advance that something is going to happen based on recent events

ex> We saw the writing on the wall when the FBI searched our office and took our computers.

Note> this expression originates from the Book of Daniel (Old Testament), Chapter 5, from the handwriting on the wall that was witnessed at a banquet hosted by King Belshazzar.

And it was a mistake hiring a friend. I’ve saved your bacon more than once when the accounting department suggests cutting some fat and starting with underperforming employees.

* save someone’s bacon: to use one’s influence to keep someone else out of trouble

ex> The politician had to use his power several times to save his son’s bacon when he got into trouble.

* cut the fat: to eliminate unnecessary things; reduce costs

ex> We cut the fat off of our family budget by eliminating meals at restaurants and visits to coffee shops.

ex> The company cut the fat by closing their two underperforming stores and reducing hours of operation.

I’m sorry, but we’ve gone far beyond that point. I warned you about this at your three-month review, but you just laughed it off.

* laugh it off: to not take something seriously

ex> It doesn’t matter what other people say to you, just laugh it off and keep following your dreams.

Do I get some kind of severance pay or something?

* severance pay: 퇴직금