tell off

tell off
{v.} 1. To name or count one by one and give some special duty to; give a share to. * /Five boy scouts were told off to clean the camp./ 2. {informal} To speak to angrily or sharply; attack with words; scold. * /Mr. Black got angry and told off the boss./ * /Bobby kept pulling Sally's hair; finally she got angry and told him where to get off./ Syn.: TELL ONE WHERE TO GET OFF. Compare: GIVE A PIECE OF ONE'S MIND, LAY DOWN THE LAW, TELL A THING OR TWO.

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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  • tell off — (someone) to tell someone that their behavior is not acceptable. I was told off by my best friend, and it was a long time before I could forgive her. He s always been obnoxious and it s about time someone told him off …   New idioms dictionary

  • tell off — [v] reprimand; criticize harshly berate, censure, chide, give piece of one’s mind*, give tongue lashing*, lecture, rail, rake over the coals*, rebuke, reproach, reprove, revile, scold, take to task*, tick off*, upbraid, vituperate; concepts 44,52 …   New thesaurus

  • tell off — verb reprimand She told the misbehaving student off • Syn: ↑brush down • Hypernyms: ↑call on the carpet, ↑take to task, ↑rebuke, ↑rag, ↑trounce, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • tell off — phrasal verb [transitive] Word forms tell off : present tense I/you/we/they tell off he/she/it tells off present participle telling off past tense told off past participle told off informal to criticize someone angrily for doing something wrong… …   English dictionary

  • tell off someone — tell off (someone) to tell someone that their behavior is not acceptable. I was told off by my best friend, and it was a long time before I could forgive her. He s always been obnoxious and it s about time someone told him off …   New idioms dictionary

  • tell off — {v.} 1. To name or count one by one and give some special duty to; give a share to. * /Five boy scouts were told off to clean the camp./ 2. {informal} To speak to angrily or sharply; attack with words; scold. * /Mr. Black got angry and told off… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • tell\ off — v 1. To name or count one by one and give some special duty to; give a share to. Five boy scouts were told off to clean the camp. 2. informal To speak to angrily or sharply; attack with words; scold. Mr. Black got angry and told off the boss.… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • tell off — PHRASAL VERB If you tell someone off, you speak to them angrily or seriously because they have done something wrong. [V n P] He never listened to us when we told him off... [V n P for n/ ing] I m always being told off for being so awkward... [V P …   English dictionary

  • tell off — informal oh, brother, did he ever tell you off See reprimand 1 …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • tell off — transitive verb Date: 1804 1. to number and set apart; especially to assign to a special duty < told off a detail and put them to opening a trench J. F. Dobie > 2. reprimand, excoriate < told him off for his arrogance > …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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