Also, send someone packing . Dismiss someone abruptly, as in They always ring the bell at suppertime, asking for signatures, but I send them about their business , or The owner caught Jack taking small items from the store and sent him packing . The first term, which in effect tells people to tend to their own affairs, was first recorded in 1768; the variant, alluding to telling people to pack their bags and leave, was first recorded in 1594. Also see send away