Send them packing ✉️🚶

Meaning

To dismiss someone, usually forcefully and without ceremony.

Origin

Picture this: you've got unwanted guests, perhaps unwelcome soldiers or bothersome travelers. You want them gone, and fast. In eras gone by, when someone was told to 'pack their things' and leave, it was a direct command to gather their belongings for a journey – one they were clearly being forced to take. The 'packing' itself became synonymous with the act of leaving, and by adding 'send them,' the phrase took on a more active, forceful connotation, implying you're the one initiating their departure, often with a stern push and no time for goodbyes.

🗣️ communication 😠⚔️ anger 👑⚖️ power ❌📉 failure

Send them packing represented with emoji✉️🚶

This playful pairing of a letter and a walking figure functions as a delightful visual metaphor. It boldly subverts the notion of mere communication, instead inviting us to consider the imperative of decisive action. Note how the simple emoji teases out the nuanced human experience of resolute departure, reminding us that sometimes, a message is best accompanied by a swift kick to the curb.

Examples

  • After failing to complete the task, the boss sent them packing.
  • The security guard had to send the unwelcome guests packing.
  • The wizard, quite annoyed, sent the nosy goblins packing with a puff of purple smoke.
  • Faced with a dragon's roar, the knights decided to send their helmets packing and run away.

Frequently asked questions

Is 'send them packing' a formal or informal idiom?

'Send them packing' is an informal idiom used in casual conversation or for emphasis. Its origins imply a forceful, direct dismissal, which is not typically suited for formal settings.

What's a common antonym for 'send them packing'?

A common antonym for 'send them packing' is 'welcome them with open arms', meaning to receive someone warmly and hospitably. While 'send them packing' implies a forceful rejection, its opposite suggests enthusiastic acceptance.

Does 'send them packing' always involve anger?

While 'send them packing' often implies anger or frustration, it can also be used humorously or to describe a necessary but firm dismissal. The core meaning is about forceful departure, not necessarily the specific emotion behind it.

Can you 'send someone packing' without them having luggage?

Yes, the 'packing' in 'send them packing' is figurative and refers to their belongings or possessions they would take if leaving. It emphasizes the totality and often abruptness of their departure, complete with whatever they own or represent.

Similar to "send them packing"

Give someone the boot
Both phrases mean to get rid of someone abruptly, but 'give someone the boot' has a more informal, almost dismissive, physical connotation, as if kicking them out the door
Show someone the door
Both suggest a forceful exit for someone unwelcome, but 'show someone the door' carries a veneer of polite, albeit firm, escorting, rather than the outright expulsion implied by 'send them packing'
Send packing
This is the canonical, no-nonsense phrase, while 'send them packing' feels a little more informal and perhaps a touch more colorful, as if the person is being sent off with their bags already slung over their shoulder

Opposite of "send them packing"

Roll out the red carpet
This phrase argues for a warm, effusive welcome, completely counter to the unceremonious expulsion of 'send them packing', highlighting a difference between making someone feel unwanted and making them feel like royalty
Embrace someone
Instead of expelling, this phrase champions wholehearted acceptance and affection, making its contrast with the dismissive nature of 'send them packing' a potent reminder of the spectrum of human interaction, from exclusion to profound inclusion
Offer a helping hand
This suggests support and assistance, a direct counterpoint to the aggressive dismissal inherent in 'send them packing', drawing attention to whether one meets a person with aid or with eviction

Related to "send them packing"

Show someone the exit
This phrase shares the core idea of forcing someone out, but focuses on the singular point of departure rather than the entire act of expulsion
Cut someone loose
Both phrases imply letting go of someone or something, but 'cut someone loose' often suggests freeing them, perhaps from an obligation or a tied-down situation, whereas 'send them packing' is purely about ejection
Dismiss
This is the more general, formal term for telling someone to leave or to stop their employment, forming the conceptual core that 'send them packing' animates with forceful imagery
Show them the door
'Send them packing' is about the unceremonious departure, while 'show them the door' adds a thin layer of performative civility to the act of removal