scold

not let someone catch someone doing something and not want to catch someone doing something

an expression that scolds someone who has done something wrong. (The idea is that the person ought not to do the wrong thing again, not that the person simply avoid getting caught.) How many times have I told you not to play ball in the house? Don't let me catch you doing that again. If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times: Don't do that! I don't want to catch you doing it again!

See also: catch, doing, let

scold someone about something

to rebuke or chastise someone about something. How many times have I scolded you about that? Please don't scold me about something I didn't do.

scold someone for something

to rebuke or chastise someone for doing something. The manager scolded the worker for misplacing the door key. The teacher scolded all the students for their bad behavior.