send someone to the showers
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send someone to the showers (third-person singular simple present sends someone to the showers, present participle sending someone to the showers, simple past and past participle sent someone to the showers)
- (idiomatic, sports) To remove a player from a particular team competition before the conclusion of the event, especially because that player's contribution on this occasion has been below his or her expected level of performance.
- 2004 September 29, “Mariners game at a glance”, in Seattle Post-Intelligencer, retrieved 8 July 2014:
- [H]e was able to pitch out of trouble until the eighth, when a single by LF Randy Winn and double by 2B Bret Boone sent him to the showers.
- 2010 July 5, Mark Viera, “Reds 8, Mets 6: Pelfrey Comes Undone After a Reversed Call”, in New York Times, retrieved 8 July 2014:
- The umpires’ ruling precipitated a wild protest […] and three straight run-scoring hits off Pelfrey that sent him to the showers after a six-run inning.
- 2013 November 20, Kevin Garside, “England 0 Germany 1”, in The Independent, UK, retrieved 8 July 2014:
- Gerrard was sent to the showers 10 minutes into the second half, replaced by his Liverpool team-mate Jordan Henderson.
- 2014 February 9, Roger Rubin, “Marcus Smart, Texas Tech fan shove fiasco handled poorly”, in New York Daily News, retrieved 8 July 2014:
- Orr, in the first row behind the photographers, said something and Smart stepped to him and pushed him with both hands. […] Sending Smart to the showers—or instructing arena security to eject the fan—would have been a move in the name of safety.
- (idiomatic, by extension) To remove or expel someone from a job, position, or activity, especially because of poor behavior or performance.
- 1941 February 3, “Government: FTC Boner”, in Time, retrieved 8 July 2014:
- The Federal Trade Commission in recent years has seldom struck out. […] But last fortnight the FTC was caught way off base, sent red-faced to the showers.
- 1991 July 7, Newsweek Staff, “Chief Of Staff Edition”, in Newsweek, retrieved 8 July 2014:
- Lucky John Sununu. […] Given the thin bench of replacements, no wonder Bush doesn't want to send him to the showers.
- 2012 March 21, Rick Ungar, “RyanCare 2.0-Still Shifting Health Care Costs Onto The Backs Of Our Elderly”, in Forbes, retrieved 8 July 2014:
- Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) has returned. […] Having been sent to the showers during last year’s disastrous campaign to place the nation’s seniors on a voucher program, Ryan is back.
- 2014 April 29, Mitch Lawrence, “Donald Sterling's racist behavior has been habitual for years”, in New York Daily News, retrieved 8 July 2014:
- Silver needed to be bold and decisive and he was unquestionably both in sending the lout Donald Sterling to the showers with a lifetime ban on Tuesday.