give someone an earful

Meaning: To scold someone at length, or tell them angrily what one thinks.

Language: English

Literally: (Already vivid in English)

Example: “When I came home three hours late, my mother gave me an earful.”

Category: Body & Senses

Origin: "Earful," meaning as much talk as the ear can take, appears in American English in the early 20th century.

Equivalents in other languages

one's eyes pop out of one's head — To be astonished, often at something striking or desirable.
turn one's stomach — To make someone feel sick, physically or with disgust.
have eyes in the back of one's head — To notice everything, even what happens behind one's back.
not believe one's ears — To be so surprised by what one hears that it seems impossible.
dead on one's feet — To be utterly exhausted.
fall flat on one's face — To fail completely and embarrassingly.

not know which way to turn — To be so overwhelmed or confused that one does not know what to do.
watch one's step — To be careful how one behaves, to avoid trouble.
have a lot on one's plate — To have many tasks or problems to deal with.
mend fences — To repair a damaged relationship after a disagreement.
play one's last card — To make a final attempt, using the last resource one has.
people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones — One should not criticize others for faults one has oneself.

Torschlusspanik — The anxious fear that time is running out — that the gates of opportunity, youth, or life…
Kummerspeck — The weight you gain from emotional eating — the extra pounds that accumulate during heart…
Fremdschämen — The vicarious embarrassment you feel for someone who is doing something cringeworthy — ev…