# The Phrase "Pink Slip" -- Origins **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 3, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-pink-slip-origins/636630 "2012-10-03T22:31:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-pink-slip-origins/636630/1 "2012-10-03T22:31:19Z")
Where do we get the phrase “Pink Slip” for getting fired? ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-pink-slip-origins/636630/2 "2012-10-03T22:50:01Z")
According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_slip_%28employment%29), 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. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-pink-slip-origins/636630/3 "2012-10-03T22:54:41Z")
Ninja’d again! ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-pink-slip-origins/636630/4 "2012-10-04T00:48:47Z")
> [@Michael63129](#): > > According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_slip_%28employment%29), 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. 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](http://www.marketplace.org/topics/world/tracing-origin-pink-slip) But, we don’t know if pink paper slips were ever used on a general basis for such a purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-pink-slip-origins/636630/5 "2012-10-04T03:14:21Z")
“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. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-pink-slip-origins/636630/6 "2012-10-04T06:07:28Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > “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. > **[Pink (disambiguation)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinks)** > > Pink is a pale red color. > Pink, Pinks, or Pink's may also refer to: ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-pink-slip-origins/636630/7 "2012-10-04T10:20:17Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > 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](http://www.marketplace.org/topics/world/tracing-origin-pink-slip) > > But, we don’t know if pink paper slips were ever used on a general basis for such a purpose. Well, one of the comments on that link is from someone who claims to have one in his possession still: > [@](#): > > I was very surprised to hear that you have no evidence of a “Pink Slip”. In 1973, I was fired from a steel foundry in Pennsylvania and I still have my “Pink Slip” (Actually, they gave me the copy which should have gone to the Foreman - which is yellow.) Pink slips were standardized, multi-part forms used in many industries at that time. The reason I still have it is because I always considered the cause of my being fired a compliment. The slip reads:“NOT SUITED FOR FOUNDRY WORK” I would be happy to email it to you. Does anyone know when the standard three-part white/pink/yellow [triplicate forms](http://www.ezeeprinting.com/page/3-part-carbonless-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. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-pink-slip-origins/636630/8 "2012-10-04T11:10:02Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > 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](http://www.marketplace.org/topics/world/tracing-origin-pink-slip) > > But, we don’t know if pink paper slips were ever used on a general basis for such a purpose. > [@Colophon](#): > > Well, one of the comments on that link is from someone who claims to have one in his possession still: 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. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-pink-slip-origins/636630/9 "2012-10-04T11:32:11Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Well, one of the comments on that link is from someone who claims to have one in his possession still: Except then he goes on to explain how he doesn’t, actually, he has a yellow one. 😕