big red switch
Panic button alternative
The big red switch is an emergency shutoff control, typically for machinery or electrical systems—literally a large red switch or button designed to be found quickly in a crisis.
In computing slang, it refers to the power switch on a computer or server, especially when someone pulls it to force a shutdown: Just hit the big red switch and reboot.
The phrase sometimes appears in discussions of nuclear launch controls or other catastrophic-consequence decisions.
- buttonDisc through a hole
- emergency stopInstant shutdown mechanism
- emergency cutoffDevice stopping machinery instantly
- pull the plugDiscontinue or terminate something
- shutdownCessation of operations
power down · hard reset · reboot · reset · cutoff · data center · server room · danger signal · power · fire alarm · disconnect · control · fuse box · warning sign · circuit breaker · hazard light · mainframe · sysadmin