Dictionary

telling-to en · NOUN

Etymology

From telling (“past participle of tell”) + to.

Meanings

1. (informal) A reprimand, reproach, or lecture.
   • 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:
   • 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:

Forms

Synonyms

telling off (reprimand)