Where do we get the phrase “Pink Slip” for getting fired?
According to Wikipedia, it probably refers to the use of pink paper for the copy that the employee gets (as commonly used to make triplicate forms), hence the name.
Ninja’d again!
Except there is no evidence that that ever occurred. Read the wiki article again. No evidence.
Sure, it’s an Americanism, and goes back to at least 1905 and before Marketplace - Business News & Economic Stories for Everyone
But, we don’t know if pink paper slips were ever used on a general basis for such a purpose.
“Pink slip” in California also refers to the DMV-issued certificate of ownership that a vehicle buyer gets. It really used to be pink. That was a long time ago. Now, it’s fancy rainbow-colored. But everybody still calls it “the pink slip” and probably always will.
This is the origin of the phrase “racing for pinks”. People would drag race and the winner would get the other guy’s pink slip (his car).
It was the title of a show on Speed Channel.
Well, one of the comments on that link is from someone who claims to have one in his possession still:
Does anyone know when the standard three-part white/pink/yellow triplicate forms were first produced? These days they are carbonless, but presumably the same type of forms used to be used with a sheet of carbon paper between.
I’m not surprised at 1973. What I should have said was that there exists no surviving general use pink slip from as early as 1900-1930, which would have been the period of time that the phrase came into being.
Except then he goes on to explain how he doesn’t, actually, he has a yellow one. 