English

Alternative forms

• tear strips off someone

Verb

tear a strip off someone

1. (idiomatic) To scold vigorously.
   • 1952, New Zealand Parliament, Parliamentary Debates, Volume 295, page 116,

     Last night the honourable member for Miramar was going to tear a strip off the Minister of Works; […] .

   • 2012, Kimberley Rose Dawson, Carousel: The Relapse: Spinning Out of Control, page 260,

     But before Debra went out the door behind her she proceeded to tear a strip off both Miguel and Anna Maria.

     Miguel ended up phoning Liz at home and tearing a strip off her for telling Debra to tell him off.

   • 2013, Lorraine Bateman, Paul Cole, Blue Days and Fair, page 211,

     No doubt Mother tore a strip off him last night. She will never forgive him for turning away a suitor.

Synonyms

• (scold vigorously): excoriate, give someone a dressing-down, haul or rake someone over the coals, read someone the riot act, tell someone off

Translations