show someone the door

English

Alternative forms

• show someone to the door (dated)

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Verb

show someone the door (third-person singular simple present shows someone the door, present participle showing someone the door, simple past showed someone the door, past participle shown someone the door or (US also) showed someone the door)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see show,‎ someone,‎ the,‎ door.
2. (idiomatic) To escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering, etc.
   • 1913, Jeffrey Farnol, chapter 29, in The Amateur Gentleman:

     "[N]o man shall laugh at me now that I'm down. Show him the door, Dig."

3. (idiomatic, by extension, especially of a person) To dismiss, fire, or reject; to exclude someone who was formerly included.
   • 1939 April 3, “Here's Your Hat!”, in Time:

     The medical profession, by its drift toward specialization, is handing the family doctor his hat and showing him the door.

   • 2008 November 9, Bruce DePuyt, “Sweeping the Red Out of Our Region”, in Washington Post, retrieved 24 Aug. 2009, page B08:

     In Maryland, Rep. Connie Morella, a skillful, conscientious politician, was ousted. . . . The always-charming Morella . . . provided great constituent service. . . . Still, voters showed her the door.

Translations

to escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering

• Finnish: näyttää ovea, heittää ulos
• Hungarian: ajtót mutat
• Polish: pokazać drzwi pf, wypraszać impf, wyprosić (pl) pf
• Russian: указа́ть на дверь pf (ukazátʹ na dverʹ), выгоня́ть (ru) impf (vygonjátʹ), вы́гнать (ru) pf (výgnatʹ)

to dismiss, fire, or reject; to exclude someone who was formerly included

• Finnish: näyttää ovea