haul someone over the coals
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English
Etymology
In reference to a punishment once meted out to heretics.
Pronunciation
Audio (General Australian): (file)
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)
- (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.