Used in work-related contexts, often informally, to describe job termination. After the merger, several employees got the elbow.
Pro Tip 2/3
Informal Expression
Considered casual; not typically used in formal notices or serious articles about employment. She read the company email and learned she'd gotten the elbow.
Pro Tip 3/3
Negative Connotation
Implies an abrupt or unwanted termination, might carry a sense of surprise or injustice. I can't believe I got the elbow just like that, after years of hard work!