give someone a speaking to
To scold a person.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“My father gave me a speaking to for coming home late.”
“The manager gave the employee a speaking to after he arrived an hour late for the third time this week.”
“After discovering the children had been playing near the dangerous cliff, their mother gave them a stern speaking to about the importance of following safety rules.”
- 01
as if someone owns the place
Alternative form of like someone owns the place.
- 02
beat someone round the ears
To beat (a person) with blows about the head.
- 03
bless someone with
To give or bestow, as a gift from God.
- 04
bring someone to their knees
To defeat and make submit to orders.
- 05
call someone every name in the book
To call someone many abusive names.
- 06
call someone everything but a child of God
To call someone many abusive names.
- 07
catch someone napping
To take advantage of someone's inattention.
- 08
cry someone a river
To weep profusely or excessively in the presence of another person.
Last updated August 10, 2026