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Kick Upstairs for Dummies

verb


What does Kick Upstairs really mean?

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Teacher: Hey there! So, I noticed you were curious about what the term "kick upstairs" means. Great question! To put it simply, "kick upstairs" is a phrase we use when someone is given a promotion, but the promotion doesn't really come with much real responsibility or power. It's like getting moved to a higher position, but it's not actually a higher position in terms of authority or influence.

Imagine this, you're playing a game and the boss of the game says, "Hey, I'm going to promote you to the next level!" You're excited because you think you'll get more control, more challenges, and more important tasks. But when you reach that next level, you realize that it's actually the same as the previous level! It's like being given a fancy title, but your actual job doesn't change much.

Now, let's dive a little deeper and explore a couple of real-life examples where we use the term "kick upstairs." One scenario could be when a company wants to reward an employee for their loyalty or longevity but doesn't really want to give them more responsibilities or decision-making power. They might bump them up to a higher position, but it's more of a symbolic gesture rather than something that reflects their actual abilities or potential.

Another example could be in politics. Sometimes, when a politician becomes less effective or popular, their party may want to replace them. However, they may not want to make it obvious or hurt their feelings. So, instead of firing them or demoting them outright, they might "kick them upstairs" by giving them a less influential position that sounds important but doesn't really have much impact.

So, in a nutshell, "kick upstairs" means to promote someone to a higher position that doesn't come with increased authority or responsibility. It's like being given a shiny new title, but deep down, it doesn't change much in terms of what you can actually do.

Revised and Fact checked by Linda Miller on 2023-10-29 07:37:42

Kick Upstairs In a sentece

Learn how to use Kick Upstairs inside a sentece

  • When a company wants to get rid of an employee without firing them, they may kick them upstairs by giving them a new title but no actual responsibilities.
  • Sometimes, a politician who is not doing a good job may be kicked upstairs to a less prominent position in the government.
  • In a school, if a teacher is not performing well, the principal may decide to kick them upstairs by assigning them administrative tasks instead of teaching.
  • In a sports team, if a player becomes too old to play effectively, the coach may kick them upstairs by making them a team manager or a mentor to younger players.
  • Imagine a student who misbehaves in class and disrupts the learning environment. The teacher may kick them upstairs by assigning them a special role, like being the class monitor, to keep them engaged and responsible.

Kick Upstairs Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

Kick Upstairs Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

Kick Upstairs Hyponyms

Words that are more specific than the original word.