Father O'Leary, Catholic chaplain to the First Canadian Contingent in South Africa during the Boer War, was taken ill. Wearied by the slowness of his convalescence, he became increasingly annoyed with his orderly, who would persist in an eternal humming or whistling. One morning, when he heard him piping away again, though this time it was a new tune, he lost his temper, and called out, "In heaven's name, man, stop that eternal whistling! I've told you a dozen times that I would have no more of it, and I declare I'll sack you* for this!"
Then he heard a laugh, and the door opened. "Who's that you're going to dismiss -- not the Commander-in-Chief, surely?" And there stood Lord Roberts.
南非波爾戰爭期間，加拿大第一分遣隊隨軍神父奧利里病倒，康復緩慢，心情鬱悒，而他的勤務兵整天不是啍調子就是吹口哨，令他越來越感不耐煩。一天早上，他忍耐不住，高聲說：「老天，不要再整天吹口哨了！我叫過你不知多少次不要再吹，你卻吹個不停，非炒魷魚不可！」
他聽到笑聲。門開處，站着的是羅伯茨勳爵。「你要炒誰人魷魚？不是要炒英軍總司令吧？」
✽To sack someone也作to give someone the sack，直譯是「給某人一個袋」，也就是叫人收拾東西離去。