Idiom
have someone's guts for garters
Meaning
To reprimand severely.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“If you break that vase, your mother will have your guts for garters.”
“The chef has my guts for garters when I burn the sauce.”
“She has his guts for garters because he lost the car keys.”
“The manager warned the team that he would have their guts for garters if they missed the deadline again.”
“My landlord will have my guts for garters if I keep making this much noise late at night.”
“You should finish your chores before your father gets home, or he will have your guts for garters.”
“The stern headmaster promised to have the students' guts for garters should he discover who had vandalized the school library during the night.”
Examples
simple
“If you break that vase, your mother will have your guts for garters.”
“The chef has my guts for garters when I burn the sauce.”
“She has his guts for garters because he lost the car keys.”
contextual
“The manager warned the team that he would have their guts for garters if they missed the deadline again.”
“My landlord will have my guts for garters if I keep making this much noise late at night.”
“You should finish your chores before your father gets home, or he will have your guts for garters.”
complex
“The stern headmaster promised to have the students' guts for garters should he discover who had vandalized the school library during the night.”
Origin
The expression emerges from the metaphoric application of animal intestines, known as catgut, which are utilised for various tensile purposes. It functions as a graphic threat of corporal disassembly, suggesting the victim’s internal organs might serve as a convenient substitute for hosiery fastenings. The formation parallels the similar idiom to have someone’s hide.
Key words
Related idioms
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