read the riot act

read someone the riot act

Fig. to give someone a severe scolding. The manager read me the riot act for coming in late. The teacher read the students the riot act for their failure to do their assignments.

See also: act, read, riot

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read (somebody) the riot act

to speak angrily to someone about something they have done and warn them that they will be punished if they do it again

Usage notes: The riot act was a law made in 1715 which said how to deal with groups of twelve or more people who were causing trouble.

He'd put up with a lot of bad behaviour from his son and thought it was time to read him the riot act.

See also: act, read, riot

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read somebody the riot act also read the riot act to somebody

to strongly warn someone to stop behaving badly Alice read Randi the riot act, telling her, “If you don't like it here, you can just go back where you came from.” The secretary of state said she plans to read the riot act to the country's leaders during meetings next week.

Related vocabulary: lay down the law

Etymology: based on the Riot Act (an English law of 1715 that provided a way to deal with a crowd of people who were causing trouble)

See also: act, read, riot