炒鱿鱼origin？

[SunnySideUp]

I came across this term in a new text book I'm working with. While other expressions such as 拉肚子sort of made sense when I looked them up, I'm still at a loss as to how "to fry a squid" came to mean "to fire someone." Does anyone know the origins of this expression - and how to find out when it means stir-fried squid instead? 

[Jim]

I was told it was because it olden times when a servant got fired they rolled up their bedding to leave, and a fried squid rolls up the same way. No cite and may be completely apocryphal!

[SunnySideUp]

Thanks, Jim : )

[anonymoose]

I guess it's similar to how "to fire someone" came to mean "to fire someone".

[QAQo.]

炒someone 鱿鱼 Someone is fired.

someone 被炒鱿鱼 Someone is fired.

someone 炒鱿鱼 Someone fries a squid.

someone 吃炒鱿鱼 Someone eats stir-fried squid.

 

[heifeng]

To supplement your textbook readings look up 卷铺盖 (as Jim explained above) and then how it relates to 炒鱿鱼

Links:

https://baike.baidu.com/item/卷铺盖

http://bbs.tianya.cn/post-329-548684-1.shtml : 天天粤语【炒鱿鱼】

 

You will know it does mean stir-fried squid when the context is about food and eating (look here if interested in recipes...) rather than employment and someone getting the boot?