give someone what for
Meaning: To scold or punish someone severely.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “When he came home at dawn, his mother gave him what for.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Probably from a punished person asking "What for?" and getting the answer by force. The phrase is British, recorded from the late 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- Polish: Gdzie raki zimują — literally: Where the crayfish spend the winter
More idioms — Daily Life
- like talking to a brick wall — Speaking to someone who does not listen or respond.
- have a thing for someone — To be attracted to someone.
- a vicious circle — A situation where one problem causes another, which makes the first worse.
- a ballpark figure — A rough estimate.
- make someone's life hell — To make someone very unhappy for a long time.
- sweep something under the rug — To hide a problem instead of dealing with it.
More English idioms
- too many cooks spoil the broth — When too many people work on something, the result is worse.
- birds of a feather flock together — People with similar interests or character tend to spend time together.
- wish the ground would swallow one up — To feel so embarrassed that one wants to disappear.
- have one's head screwed on — To be sensible and practical.
- a bird-brain — A silly or scatterbrained person.
- toss one's cookies — To vomit.