pink slips

[keannu]

Ned was caught playing in mid-night circle where gangster or thug-like guys hang out racing motorcycles. So Mel is rebuking him for doing bad things after sneaking out from home at night. "Pink slips"'s definition is "layoff notice", but is translated as "temperary car license". What does it mean?

gw2-14
Mel- 'Cause no more games, Ned.
Ned- It's a race, a couple of times a month. They race for money, pink slips, stuff like that. And there aren't any rules.
Mel- Where does your mom think you are?
Ned- In bed. I climbed out the window.

 

[BobK]

I have always assumed that a pink slip (in the context of informal motor racing) was a certificate of ownership. In films (the only place I've heard it) a pink slip was the highest possible stake - whoever wins gets the loser's car. (I've no idea if this assumption is correct - but it always works for my understanding of such film scenes. As they were alway set in the USA, I didn't bother researching the administrative background; in the UK, the equivalent is 'racing for log-books' an expression that survived the updating of the document involved, which is now called a 'Registration Document' - not a 'book' at all.) Perhaps a US informant could confirm/correct ... :-?

b

 

[Tdol]

In this context, wouldn't it be a permanent transfer of ownership?

 

[Barb_D]

Since I don't know anyone who actually does race cars with the stakes being the loser's car, and I, too, have only ever seen this on TV or in the movies, my understanding is the same as yours. I've only sold a car to a private individual once, but our registration document wasn't pink. I don't know if it was some time in the past, or what.

keannu:
Pink slips has two completely different meanings. One is notification that you've been fired, and one is the registration of your car.

 

[BobK]

..."Pink slips"'s definition is "layoff notice",...

You know now that his definition is irrelevant. You may want to know for future reference that the UK equivalent is 'your P45' - years ago this used to take the form of 'your cards'. 'To give someone their cards' was one of the earlier euphemisms for 'sack'.

b

 

[JMurray]

From good old Wikipedia: "In the United States, the certificate of title for a vehicle (also known as a car title or pink slip; or pinks in the plural) is a legal form, establishing a person or business as the legal owner of a vehicle."

My favourite film featuring pink slips is "Two-Lane Blacktop" and there's an exchange that goes something like this:
– You're damn right we race. For pinks.
– Pink slips? You mean for cars?"

not a teacher

 

[SoothingDave]

I can only assume that at one time in the past, the titles for automobiles were pink. This seems like a very 1950s thing to do, this racing for pink slips. I've only seen it in the movies.

 

[BobSmith]

"pink slip" can be used as a verb to mean "temporarily commit to a psychiatric ward".

1: Why did the prisoner get transferred to Bellevue?
2: He threatened to kill himself so they pink slipped him.

 

[BobK]

"pink slip" can be used as a verb to mean "temporarily commit to a psychiatric ward".

1: Why did the prisoner get transferred to Bellevue?
2: He threatened to kill himself so they pink slipped him.

The UKI equivalent of this is to be 'sectioned' - a reference to some part of the Mental Health Act that allows this sort of thing.

b

 

[BobSmith]

The UKI equivalent of this is to be 'sectioned' - a reference to some part of the Mental Health Act that allows this sort of thing.

An old term from the US Army is getting a "section 8", which is basically the same as committed, except you're discharged.