haul someone over the coals

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English

Etymology

In reference to a punishment once meted out to heretics.

Pronunciation

Verb

haul someone over the coals (third-person singular simple present hauls someone over the coals, present participle hauling someone over the coals, simple past and past participle hauled someone over the coals)

  1. (chiefly UK, idiomatic) To express anger with someone in no uncertain terms when they do something wrong.
    The teacher hauled him over the coals for not doing his homework.

Synonyms