deadwood
cut the deadwood out
1. Literally, to prune the dead parts of a tree, bush, or plant. Your plant might bloom again if you cut the deadwood out.
2. To eliminate or remove one who is ineffective and unproductive. Based on these consistently low numbers, it's time to cut the deadwood out of your department.
See also: cut, deadwood, out
deadwood
1. Literally, the dead parts of a tree, bush, or plant. Your plant might bloom again if you cut the deadwood out.
2. Those who are ineffective and unproductive. Based on these consistently low numbers, there's a lot of deadwood in that department.
3. In bowling, fallen pins that have yet to be cleared from the lane. It's my turn, as soon as the deadwood gets cleared.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
cut the deadwood out
1. Lit. to prune away and remove the dead branches from a tree or bush. They cut a lot of the deadwood out to save the tree. You have to cut out the deadwood to make room for new growth.
2. Fig. to remove unproductive persons from employment. This company would be more profitable if management would cut out the deadwood. When we cut the deadwood out, all our departments will run more smoothly.
See also: cut, deadwood, out
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
deadwood
n. nonproductive or nonfunctional persons. We’ll have to cut costs by getting rid of the deadwood.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
- cut the deadwood out
- dead wood
- plant
- plant (something) in (something else)
- plant in
- uproot
- uproot (someone or something) from (something or some place)
- uproot from
- leaf out
- flit from