炒魷魚

炒魷魚

See also: 炒鱿鱼

Chinese

FWOTD – 11 September 2019

		saute; pan-fry; to fry saute; pan-fry; to fry; fried	squid
trad. (炒魷魚)		炒	魷魚
simp. (炒鱿鱼)		炒	鱿鱼

Etymology

Originally from Cantonese.

The phrase is metaphorical: “to fry a squid” > “fried squids curl up” > “to roll up the bedclothes and leave” > “to be fired”.

Compare the English phrase to get the sack and the Mandarin phrase 捲鋪蓋／卷铺盖 (juǎn pūgai).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chǎo yóuyú

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄠˇ ㄧㄡˊ ㄩˊ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou, Jyutping): caau² jau⁴ jyu^4-2

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): cau² yiu³ ngui^3*

• Hakka (Meixian, Guangdong): cau³ yu² n²
• Wu (Wiktionary): tshau (T2) + hhieu hhngg (T3)

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chǎo yóuyú
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄠˇ ㄧㄡˊ ㄩˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chǎo yóuyú
    • Wade–Giles: chʻao³ yu²-yü²
    • Yale: chǎu yóu-yú
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chao youyu
    • Palladius: чао ююй (čao jujuj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ joʊ̯³⁵ y³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: caau² jau⁴ jyu^4-2
    • Yale: cháau yàuh yú
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsaau² jau⁴ jy^4-2
    • Guangdong Romanization: cao² yeo⁴ yu^4-2
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰaːu̯³⁵ jɐu̯²¹ jyː²¹⁻³⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: cau² yiu³ ngui^3*
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰau⁵⁵ jiu²² ᵑɡui²²⁻²²⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: cau³ yu² n²
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰau³¹ iu¹¹ n̩¹¹/
• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: tshau (T2) + hhieu hhngg (T3)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴  ɦiɜ²² ɦŋ̍⁴⁴/

Verb

炒⫽魷魚 (verb-object)

1. (literally) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see 炒,‎ 魷魚／鱿鱼.
2. (figurative, slang) to sack someone; to fire someone

   我被炒魷魚了。／我被炒鱿鱼了。  ―  Wǒ bèi chǎo yóuyú le.  ―  I've been fired.

   炒老闆魷魚／炒老板鱿鱼  ―  chǎo lǎobǎn yóuyú  ―  (humorous) to resign (literally: “to fire the boss”)

   • 他知道諸如打工、做生意、求職、炒魷魚這種種而今聽來十分耳熟的字眼嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
     他知道诸如打工、做生意、求职、炒鱿鱼这种种而今听来十分耳熟的字眼吗？ [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1991, 周佩红, 《一抹心痕》, page 169

     Tā zhīdào zhūrú dǎgōng, zuòshēngyi, qiúzhí, chǎo yóuyú zhè zhǒngzhǒng érjīn tīnglái shífēn ěrshú de zìyǎn ma? [Pinyin]

     Does he know those words very familiar to the ear when he hears them now, such as working on a temporary job, doing business, seeking employment, or getting fired?

   • 考績好，你可能獲得加薪與晉陞；考績不好，你便可能喪失晉陞的機會，甚至還可能被炒魷魚。 [MSC, trad.]
     考绩好，你可能获得加薪与晋升；考绩不好，你便可能丧失晋升的机会，甚至还可能被炒鱿鱼。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1996, 張慶勳, 《學校組織行為》, page 346

     Kǎojì hǎo, nǐ kěnéng huòdé jiāxīn yǔ jìnshēng; kǎojì bùhǎo, nǐ biàn kěnéng sàngshī jìnshēng de jīhuì, shènzhì hái kěnéng bèi chǎo yóuyú. [Pinyin]

     If your performance assessment is good, you might receive a pay raise and a promotion; if not, you might lose the opportunity of getting promoted and might even be fired.

   • 小乖在不到三個月內，已經換了四個工作，不是被炒魷魚，就是自己不告而別。 [MSC, trad.]
     小乖在不到三个月内，已经换了四个工作，不是被炒鱿鱼，就是自己不告而别。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2001, 吳靜吉／吴静吉, 《害羞·寂寞·愛》 (Shyness, Loneliness and Love), 2nd edition, page 257

     Xiǎoguāi zài bùdào sān ge yuè nèi, yǐjīng huàn le sì ge gōngzuò, bùshì bèi chǎo yóuyú, jiùshì zìjǐ bùgào'érbié. [Pinyin]

     Within less than three months, Xiaoguai has switched jobs four times; if it was not getting fired, then it was him leaving without notice.

Synonyms

• (to sack someone):

edit

Synonyms of 炒魷魚

停生意 (Shanghainese, dated) 炒 (chǎo) (slang) 解聘 (jiěpìn) 走路 (zǒulù) (figurative, to be fired) 遣散 (qiǎnsàn) 革除 (géchú)

捲鋪蓋／卷铺盖 (juǎn pūgai) (figurative, to be fired) 解僱／解雇 (jiěgù) 解職／解职 (jiězhí) 辭退／辞退 (cítuì) 開除／开除 (kāichú)

Dialectal synonyms of 解僱 (“to terminate someone's employment; to fire; to sack”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		解僱, 辭退, 解聘, 開除, 革除, 解職
Mandarin	Taiwan	解僱, 炒魷魚
	Wanrong	開銷
	Chengdu	開銷, 開除
	Liuzhou	炒魷魚
	Singapore	開除, 炒魷魚
Cantonese	Guangzhou	炒魷魚
	Hong Kong	炒魷魚, 炒魷, 炒, 開除, 辭
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	除職
	Macau	炒魷魚
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	炒魷魚
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	炒魷魚
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	炒魷魚
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	辭退
	Foshan	炒魷魚
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	炒魷魚
	Foshan (Shunde)	炒魷魚
	Foshan (Sanshui)	炒魷魚
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	唔使
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	炒魷魚
	Zhuhai (Qianshan)	炒魷魚
	Zhuhai (Doumen, Shangheng Tanka)	唔請
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	唔請
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	炒魷魚, 唔請
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	唔請
	Taishan	唔請, 炒魷魚, 炒
	Kaiping (Chikan)	唔請, 炒魷魚
	Enping (Niujiang)	唔請
	Heshan (Yayao)	辭工
	Dongguan	炒魷魚
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	炒魷魚
Gan	Pingxiang	開銷
Hakka	Meixian	辭退, 解僱, 炒魷魚
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	唔愛去做, 炒魷魚, 打豎鋪
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	炒魷魚
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	炒魷魚
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	炒魷魚
	Conghua (Lütian)	解僱
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	解僱
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	解僱
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	解僱
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	解僱
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	解僱
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	辭
Min Nan	Xiamen	辭頭路, 辭
	Zhao'an	辭退
	Tainan	辭頭路
	Singapore (Hokkien)	卜頭路
	Shantou	解僱, 炒鰇魚
	Jieyang	清, 炒鰇魚
Zhongshan Min	Shaxi (Longdu)	除工
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	炒魷魚
Wu	Shanghai	炒魷魚
	Hangzhou	回報
Xiang	Changsha	開銷