“Cashiering” is the public stripping of rank, privilege, and responsibility, historically associated with military discipline. It can be devastating for soldiers, and often serves as an object lesson. The word comes from the Dutch casseren, meaning dismissal, and has been used to punish nobility for acts such as treason.
When someone is cashed in, they are stripped of rank, privilege and responsibility, often in a very public and demeaning way. The teller has historically been associated with military discipline, and while this ritual dismissal is less common than it once was, the teller still occurs. One of the most famous cashier cases occurred in 1895, when Alfred Dreyfus was cashiered and exiled for treason.
Before delving into the specifics of cashier, it can be helpful to know the difference between the two forms of this word. In the sense of stripping someone of rank, cashier comes from the Dutch casseren, which has its roots in the French casser, referring to dismissal or annulment, and the word has been used in English since 1692. In the sense of someone standing behind a cash register to increase sales, the word comes from the French caisser, which means “treasurer”. You can use this handy etymological fact the next time you’re in a situation where cashier or cashier is at stake, if you feel so inclined.
For members of the military, cashier can be devastating. Typically a soldier’s insignia is removed and often destroyed during a cashiering ceremony, and his sword may be symbolically broken to reinforce the humiliation involved in the ceremony. If someone is cashed up, it means that he is not entitled to any benefits, and a record will be placed in the soldier’s permanent file as to whether he has been cashed up and why.
In addition to being unpleasant to the soldier being tried, the cashier also serves as an object lesson for those present. Military discipline often relies on making examples of people, showing active duty members the consequences of behavior that violates military protocol. The message sent by a teller ceremony is usually pretty clear: Break the rules, pay the price.
The cashier has also historically been used to punish members of the nobility for acts such as treason. In some cases, people were cashiered and then executed, ensuring that the family was punished with the loss of rank and privileges. The teller has historically created a black stain on an entire family, along with allies, and when major storylines have been uncovered, many unseemly nudges have often followed as people try to avoid getting caught up in the social stigma associated with those storylines.
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