talking-to

[ taw-king-too ]
See synonyms for talking-to on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural talk·ing-tos.
  1. a scolding.

Origin of talking-to

1
First recorded in 1875–80

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for talking-to

talking-to

noun
  1. informal a session of criticism, as of the work or attitude of a subordinate by a person in authority

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