wail on someone

wail on (someone or something)

1. To attack or thrash something in an brutal, forceful, or relentless manner. (A common misspelling of "whale on someone or something.") The knights are wailing on the gate with a battering ram! Hold your positions! She began wailing on the poor child until a police officer finally intervened. The other team wailed on us for the entire game, leading to one of our most humiliating defeats of the season.

2. To criticize, rebuke, or verbally assault someone or something vehemently or relentlessly. (A common misspelling of "whale on someone or something.") The interviewer suddenly began wailing on the politician over his alleged ties to the pharmaceutical industry. The boss wailed on us for the entirety of the meeting because of our failure to meet our sales quota.

See also: on, wail

whale on (someone or something)

1. To attack or thrash something in an brutal, forceful, or relentless manner. He stood there whaling on the wall with a sledgehammer, but he barely seemed to be making a dent in it. She began whaling on the poor child until a police officer finally intervened. The other team whaled on us for the entire game, leading to one of our most humiliating defeats of the season.

2. To criticize, rebuke, or verbally assault someone or something vehemently or relentlessly. The interviewer suddenly began whaling on the politician over his alleged ties to the pharmaceutical industry. The boss whaled on us for the entirety of the meeting because of our failure to meet our sales quota.

See also: on, whale

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

wail on someone

in. to beat someone. (see also whale the tar out of someone.) Who are those two guys wailing on Sam?

See also: on, someone, wail

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.