read the riot act — read (someone) the riot act 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 … New idioms dictionary
read the Riot Act — ► read the Riot Act give a severe warning or reprimand. [ORIGIN: from the name of a former act partly read out to disperse rioters.] Main Entry: ↑riot … English terms dictionary
read the riot act — If you declare with force and authority that something must stop, and announce the consequences if it happens again, you read the riot act. Dad read us the riot act when we messed up his tool shed … English Idioms & idiomatic expressions
read the riot act — {v. phr.} To give someone a strong warning or scolding. * /Three boys were late to class and the teacher read the riot act to them./ … Dictionary of American idioms
read the riot act — {v. phr.} To give someone a strong warning or scolding. * /Three boys were late to class and the teacher read the riot act to them./ … Dictionary of American idioms
read\ the\ riot\ act — v. phr. To give someone a strong warning or scolding. Three boys were late to class and the teacher read the riot act to them … Словарь американских идиом
read the riot act — give someone a strong warning or scolding The teacher read the riot act to her students when they began to misbehave in class … Idioms and examples
read the riot act — read (someone) 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. He d put up with a lot of bad behaviour from his son and thought it was time to read him the riot … New idioms dictionary
read the riot act — Meaning Warn roudy characters to stop behaving badly. Origin In English law the control of unruly citizens was the responsibility of local magistrates. If more than twelve people didn t disperse after the Riot Act was read to them the magistrate… … Meaning and origin of phrases
read the riot act — vp To scold, chastise severely. When mom saw the condition of my room, she read me the riot act. 1900s … Historical dictionary of American slang
