Idiom
circular file
Meaning
The trash container; the wastebasket.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“I put those old papers in the circular file.”
“My boss smiled and dropped my proposal straight into the circular file.”
“The editor glanced at the manuscript for ten seconds, then with a sigh consigned it to the circular file, another dream dashed.”
Examples
simple
“I put those old papers in the circular file.”
contextual
“My boss smiled and dropped my proposal straight into the circular file.”
complex
“The editor glanced at the manuscript for ten seconds, then with a sigh consigned it to the circular file, another dream dashed.”
Origin
The term originates as a facetious reference to the wastebasket's cylindrical shape. It contrasts the act of disposing of a document with the act of filing it in a traditional cabinet, suggesting that while the item has been filed, its new location is merely a bin.
Key words
Related idioms
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