telling-to

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From telling (past participle of tell) +‎ to.

Noun

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telling-to (plural tellings-to)

  1. (informal) A reprimand, reproach, or lecture.
    • 2011 December 30, James III Brokaw, Waiting for War[1], Hedgie Press, →ISBN, page 97:
      We all watched the reaction, as Sergeant Rich received a good telling to.
    • 2016 July 8, Judith Woods, “'Red boxes are very much banned from the bedroom'”, in The Daily Telegraph[2], London, retrieved 6 October 2019:
      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.

Synonyms

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Anagrams

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