telling-to

plural tellings-to · alternative telling to

1. informalA reprimand, reproach, or lecture.

   We all watched the reaction, as Sergeant Rich received a good telling to.

   2011 December 30, James III Brokaw, Waiting for War, Hedgie Press, →ISBN, page 97

   1 more example

   I suspect the Tories are desperate for a good telling to from someone like May who has authority and energy – and great optimism about the future, albeit expressed in more measured tones than her rather more hyperbolic rival.

   2016 July 8, Judith Woods, “'Red boxes are very much banned from the bedroom'”, in The Daily Telegraph, London, retrieved 06 Oct 2019

   Synonyms: telling off