# 炒魷魚
## Chinese

* 炒魷魚 (Cantonese)
* 炒魷魚 (Written Standard Chinese)

### 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–Hong Kong, Jyutping): caau$^2$ jau$^4$ jyu$^{4-2}$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): cau$^2$ yiu$^3$ ngui$^{3*}$
* Hakka (Meixian, Guangdong): cau$^3$ yu$^2$ n$^2$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^5$tshau $^6$yeu-ng$_6$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: chǎo yóuyú
*** Zhuyin: ㄔㄠˇ ㄧㄡˊ ㄩˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: chǎo yóuyú
*** Wade–Giles: chʻao$^3$ yu$^2$-yü$^2$
*** Yale: chǎu yóu-yú
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chao youyu
*** Palladius: чао ююй (čao jujuj)
*** Sinological IPA : /ʈ͡ʂʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ joʊ̯³⁵ y³⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: caau$^2$ jau$^4$ jyu$^{4-2}$
*** Yale: cháau yàuh yú
*** Cantonese Pinyin: tsaau$^2$ jau$^4$ jy$^{4-2}$
*** Guangdong Romanization: cao$^2$ yeo$^4$ yu$^{4-2}$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰaːu̯³⁵ jɐu̯²¹ jyː²¹⁻³⁵/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: cau$^2$ yiu$^3$ ngui$^{3*}$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰau⁵⁵ jiu²² ᵑɡui²²⁻²²⁵/
* Hakka
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: cau$^3$ yu$^2$ n$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰau³¹ iu¹¹ n̩¹¹/
* Wu
** (Northern: Shanghai)
*** Wugniu: $^5$tshau $^6$yeu-ng$_6$
*** MiniDict: tshau$^去$ yeu$^去$ ng$^去$
*** Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): $^2$tshau $^3$hhieu-ngg$_3$
*** Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴ ɦiɤ²² ŋ̍⁴⁴/

### Verb

炒⫽魷魚 (verb-object)
* (literally) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see 炒 (chǎo),‎ 魷魚 / 鱿鱼 (yóuyú).
* (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.
    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?
    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.
    From: 2001, 吳靜吉, 《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):
* 停生意 ($^6$din-san$_1$-i$_5$) (Shanghainese, dated)
* 執包袱 / 执包袱 (zap$^1$ baau$^1$ fuk$^6$) (Cantonese)
* 捲鋪蓋 / 卷铺盖 (“to be fired”) (figurative)
* 炒 (chǎo) (slang)
* 解僱 / 解雇 (jiěgù)
* 解聘 (jiěpìn)
* 解職 / 解职 (jiězhí)
* 走路 (zǒulù, “to be fired”) (figurative)
* 辭退 / 辞退 (cítuì)
* 遣散
* 開除 / 开除 (kāichú)
* 革除 (géchú)
* 食無情雞 / 食无情鸡 (sik$^6$ mou$^4$ cing$^4$ gai$^1$) (Cantonese)
| Variety | Location | Words |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 解僱, 辭退, 解聘, 開除, 革除, 解職 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 解僱, 炒魷魚 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 開除, 炒魷魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Wanrong | 開銷 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 開銷, 開除 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liuzhou | 炒魷魚 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 炒魷魚 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 炒魷魚, 炒魷, 炒, 豉椒炒魷, 開除, 辭, 食無情雞, 雞 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) | 除職 |
| Cantonese | Macau | 炒魷魚 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Panyu) | 炒魷魚 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) | 炒魷魚 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Conghua) | 炒魷魚 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Zengcheng) | 辭退 |
| Cantonese | Foshan | 炒魷魚 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) | 炒魷魚 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shunde) | 炒魷魚 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Sanshui) | 炒魷魚 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) | 唔使 |
| Cantonese | Zhongshan (Shiqi) | 炒魷魚 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) | 炒魷魚 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) | 唔請 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Doumen) | 唔請 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Baisha) | 炒魷魚, 唔請 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Xinhui) | 唔請 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 唔請, 炒魷魚, 炒 |
| Cantonese | Kaiping (Chikan) | 唔請, 炒魷魚 |
| Cantonese | Enping (Niujiang) | 唔請 |
| Cantonese | Heshan (Yayao) | 辭工 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 炒魷魚 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) | 炒魷魚 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 炒魷魚 |
| Gan | Pingxiang | 開銷 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 辭退, 解僱, 炒魷魚 |
| Hakka | Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) | 唔愛去做, 炒魷魚, 打豎鋪 |
| Hakka | Dongguan (Qingxi) | 炒魷魚 |
| Hakka | Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) | 炒魷魚 |
| Hakka | Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) | 炒魷魚 |
| Hakka | Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) | 解僱 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 解僱 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 解僱 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 解僱 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 解僱 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 解僱 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 辭 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 辭頭路, 辭, 齧拗, 齧捒 |
| Southern Min | Zhao'an | 辭退 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 辭頭路 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 卜頭路 |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 擗捒, 刣捒 |
| Southern Min | Shantou | 解僱, 炒鰇魚 |
| Southern Min | Jieyang | 清, 炒鰇魚 |
| Southern Min | Haifeng | 炒鰇魚 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | 炒鰇魚 |
| Zhongshan Min | Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) | 除工 |
| Southern Pinghua | Nanning (Tingzi) | 炒魷魚 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 炒魷魚 |
| Wu | Hangzhou | 回報 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 開銷 |

#### Derived terms

* 炒老細魷魚 / 炒老细鱿鱼 (caau$^2$ lou$^5$ sai$^3$ jau$^4$ jyu$^{4-2}$) (Cantonese)