out on one's ear

out on one's ear idiom
Dismissed, thrown out in disgrace, as in In this company you get only one chance, and if you fail you're out on your ear. This term alludes to being physically thrown out head first. [Slang; early 1900s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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