Effective Immediately

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

A Stock Phrase originally used in corporate and administrative contexts, it has tended to spill over into other areas of late. Almost always used in a negative context.

Note to be confused with immediately effective antidotes.

Examples of Effective Immediately include:


Anime and Manga

Film

Major Devin: ...you are out of here, effective immediately.

Tony Stark: I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I had more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries.

M: [to James Bond] Effective immediately, your licence to kill is revoked, and I require you to hand over your weapon. Now.

Noah Vosen: Issue a standing kill order on Jason Bourne, effective immediately.

Dreyfus: You are suspended for six months, without pay, effective immediately! Have you anything to say?
Clouseau: Could you lend me fifty francs?

Amy Archer: Consider this my resignation...effective immediately!

  • Lockout: The lead character is informed that his conviction for espionage and murder is "effective immediately".

Live Action TV

  • 24
    • "Season 1 Episode 15: 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m."

President Palmer: I want him reinstated to his previous position, effective immediately.

    • Season 2, 7:00am – 8:00am

President Palmer: I'm relieving you of your post, effective immediately.

Admiral Adama: I can't give up on her. I can't let her go. I've lost my objectivity. And now that I see that, I have no choice. Tell the Quorum that I am relinquishing command, effective immediately.

Principal Robin Wood: You're fired.
Buffy: What?
Principal Robin Wood: Effective immediately.
Buffy: You're firing me? I just refrained from kicking your ass.

  • ER - "You Are Here"

Dr. Archie Morris: I have an announcement to make. Effective immediately, I am your new chief resident!

Sen. John McCain: Jim, I would like to take this opportunity to make my opponent a proposal: effective immediately, each of us suspend our campaigns, and instead hold a series of three pie-eating contests.

Capt. Picard: Attention all decks, all divisions. Effective immediately, I have handed over control of this vessel to Acting Captain Wesley Crusher.

Admiral Layton: (Talking to Sisko about the Dominion threat) And so effective immediately, I'm making you Acting Head of Starfleet Security here on Earth.

Dr. Rodney McKay: And I wanted to assure you that, uh, I intend not being right again - about everything, effective immediately.

Mr. Cox: Effective immediately, Mr. Brandes, Forsyth Holworth is terminating its order for your line of women's blouses.

Danielle Atron: In short, George, I'm letting you go, effective immediately.

Dave: We are instituting a zero-tolerence policy, effective immediately! If anybody misses their curfew, or doesn't do their homework, or talks back, or just looks at us wrong, they're gettin' a spanking!

Radio

  • An episode of Adventures in Odyssey has Whit fire Eugene and Connie "effective immediately" after they activate the Applesauce program (or in Eugene's case, told Connie when he was forbidden from doing so).

Video Games

Premier Alexander Romanov: Following our great success, I am promoting Yuri to Supreme Commander of Soviet armed forces.
Gen. Vladimir: WHAT?!
Premier Alexander Romanov: Effective immediately.

Web Comics

Western Animation

Doctor Ivo Robotnik: "I appear today to make a historic announcement. I have decided to announce my retirement. Effective immediately."

  • Parodied in The Simpsons when Skinner resigns upon the revelation that he's an imposter "as of the end of this sentence" *holds for reaction, gets none* "This sentence...which I'm speaking...right, now. Period!" *shocked gasps from audience*
  • Iron Man - During the "Armor Wars" arc, when Tony is called to explain the actions of his "bodyguard".

"Effectively immediately...he's fired."

Real Life

  • The very words in German - "sofort, unverzueglich" - that upon being accidentally spoken, brought down the Berlin Wall and led to the reunification of Germany. East German official Guenter Schabowski was asked when the new rules for exit from the east would be effective. He hadn't actually been fully briefed on the timetable (or one hadn't been decided on), so he guessed at it. Crowds gathered until the guards dared not hold them back and thousands of people flooded into the West. They tore down this wall. David Hasselhoff milked it.
    • The words above were given off-the-cuff in response to a reporter's post-announcement question, making them also an example of Sure Why Not.
  • On June 7, 2010, Hearst Corporation announced the retirement of White House correspondent Helen Thomas, "effective immediately".
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