Readerquestion:
Pleaseexplain “pulltheplug”, asinthisheadline: UtahPullsThePlugOnTheFour-DayWorkweek (AOL.com, September 15, 2011).
Mycomments:
Afour-dayworkweek? Whatagoodidea.
Uponcheckingthestory, IfoundthattheAmericanstateofUtahhadaplan “forstateworkerstoclockin 10 hoursaday, MondaythroughThursday, toimproveefficiency, reduceoverheadcostsandconserveenergy.”
Apparentlythisisoneofthemeasurestohavebeentakentohelpcombatstate-widerecession. However, uponcloseexamination, lawmakersfailedto “noteanysavings” intheprogram. Therefore, theyhavevotedtoendtheprogram.
Inotherwords, to “pulltheplug” onit.
Afour-dayweekisnotsuchagoodideaafterall.
Anyways, “pulltheplug” shouldbeallofourconcernhere. Plug, yousee, isthethingusedforconnectingapieceofelectricalequipmenttothemainsupplyofelectricity, atwo-pinplug, forinstance. Orathree-pinplugfortherefrigeratororthecomputer. Hence, toconnect, youplugin. Todisconnect, youplugout, orunplugoryousimply “pulltheplug”.
Hence, figurativelyspeaking, topulltheplugonsomethingistodeactivateit, toendit, tocloseit, todiscontinuetheactivity. Especiallyusefulinbusiness, topulltheplugonaplanorbusinessistopreventitfrombeingabletocontinue, especiallybydecidingnottogiveitanymoremoney.