tear a strip off someone en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
-
(slang) To scold vigorously.
No doubt Mother tore a strip off him last night. She will never forgive him for turning away a suitor.
2013, Lorraine Bateman, Paul Cole, Blue Days and Fair, page 211:Last night the honourable member for Miramar was going to tear a strip off the Minister of Works;[…].
1952, New Zealand Parliament, Parliamentary Debates, volume 295, page 116:But before Debra went out the door behind her she proceeded to tear a strip off both Miguel and Anna Maria. Miguel ended up phoning Liz at home and tearing a strip off her for telling Debra to tell him off.
2012, Kimberley Rose Dawson, Carousel: The Relapse: Spinning Out of Control, page 260:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| tearing a strip off someone | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| tears a strip off someone | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| tear strips off someone | alternative | lexicographic | |
| torn a strip off someone | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| tear someone off a strip | alternative | lexicographic | |
| tore a strip off someone | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Synonyms
read someone the riot act (scold vigorously) · rake over the coals (scold vigorously) · haul someone over the coals (scold vigorously) · excoriate (scold vigorously) · give someone a dressing-down (scold vigorously) · tell someone off (scold vigorously)
Translations (7)
fr engueuler comme du poisson pourri (scold vigorously) · is úthúða (scold vigorously) · fr engueuler (scold vigorously) · de heftig beschimpfen (scold vigorously) · de ordentlich die Meinung sagen (scold vigorously) · de herunterputzen (scold vigorously) · de eine Standpauke halten (scold vigorously)