trash-can as a verb

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ostap77

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" And any Toshiba exec who saw it would know that this particular frame should have been trash-caned before it ever left the factory."

Would it be standard English to use the verb "to trash-can"?
 

JMurray

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" And any Toshiba exec who saw it would know that this particular frame should have been trash-caned before it ever left the factory."

Would it be standard English to use the verb "to trash-can"?


Although I've not heard "trash-canned" (note the spelling) used this way, "canned" is a common informal term meaning dismissed or rejected.
"The project was so badly funded that it was canned by the committee at a very early stage".
Possibly because the frame is a physical object, "trash-canned" felt more descriptive, but the double "n" is necessary.


not a teacher
 

Tdol

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In BrE, we can also use binned.
 

Gillnetter

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" And any Toshiba exec who saw it would know that this particular frame should have been trash-caned before it ever left the factory."

Would it be standard English to use the verb "to trash-can"?


Although I've not heard "trash-canned" (note the spelling) used this way, "canned" is a common informal term meaning dismissed or rejected.
"The project was so badly funded that it was canned by the committee at a very early stage".
Possibly because the frame is a physical object, "trash-canned" felt more descriptive, but the double "n" is necessary.


not a teacher
I hear "trash-canned" in the US. The emphasis is not so much on "canned" as it is on "trash". One throws things of no value into the trash. The "can" here is the container which holds trash. Material objects, as well as ideas, can be "trash-canned".
 

ostap77

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Could a person be trash-canned ? Suppose somebody's been working for a company for a while but the board suddenly decides to downzise personnel.
 

5jj

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Could a person be trash-canned ? Suppose somebody's been working for a company for a while but the board suddenly decides to downzise personnel.
Aaaarrrrgghhhh!

Sorry about that. I feel better now,
 

Tdol

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Could a person be trash-canned ? Suppose somebody's been working for a company for a while but the board suddenly decides to downzise personnel.

I can't speak for AmE, but people can be binned (sacked) in BrE.
 
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