talking-to

noun

A scolding or reprimand; a lengthy rebuke.

“For quotations using this term, see Citations:talking-to.”

OriginEnglish to ← Middle English to ← Old English tō →
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Meanings

nountalking-to (plural talking-tos or talkings-to)

plural talking-tos · plural talkings-to · alternative talking to

  1. colloquialA scolding or reprimand; a lengthy rebuke.

    For quotations using this term, see Citations:talking-to.

Origin

  1. Englishtalking
  2. Proto-Indo-European*de
  3. Proto-Indo-European*doh₁
  4. Proto-Germanic*tō
  5. Proto-West Germanic*tō
  6. Old Englishtō
  7. Middle Englishto
  8. Englishto
  9. Englishtalking-to

From talking + to.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Hungarian fejmosás, szidás
  • fejmosásrebuke, reprimand
  • szidásrebuke, reprimand
  • dorgálásrebuke, reprimand
  • feddésrebuke, reprimand
Russian внуше́ние, вы́говор
  • внуше́ние (vnušénije)rebuke, reprimand
  • вы́говор (výgovor)rebuke, reprimand
Cite this entry
APA

talking-to. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/talking-to

MLA

“talking-to.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/talking-to. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “talking-to,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/talking-to.

Source: talking-to on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.