give somebody the heave-ho

give (one) the heave-ho

To dismiss or reject one. "Heave-ho" refers to the literal lifting and tossing of an object; in this sense, it is used metaphorically. I can't believe the boss gave me the heave-ho after five years on the job! A: "Did you hear that Liz broke up with Dan?" B: "Wow, I never expected her to give him the heave-ho!"See also: give

give somebody the (old) heave-ˈho

(informal) dismiss somebody from their job; end a relationship with somebody: ‘Are Julie and Mike still together?’ ‘Oh no, she gave him the old heave-ho a couple of months ago.’ Heave-ho was originally the cry of sailors when pulling up the anchor.See also: give, somebody