give notice

Idioms & Phrases

give notice

  1. Inform or warn someone of something, as in He's prompt about giving us notice of any discrepancy in the accounts. [Late 1500s]

  2. Tell one's employer one is quitting, as in Our housekeeper gave notice last week. This usage, first recorded in 1765, originally alluded to any kind of termination, such as a housing lease, but today is most often used for leaving employment.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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