talking-toˈtalking-to noun [countable usually singular] 
Examples
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- What Sarah needs is a good talking-to.
- With increasing frequency, it seems, the good talking-to becomes a permanent black spot on a school record.
Longman Language Activatorwhen you tell someone off► talking-to
informal an occasion when you talk to someone angrily, especially a child or someone who is below you in rank informal also telling-off British informal when someone, especially a child, is told off for being disobedient or for doing something wrong: · What Sarah needs is a good talking-to.· After a stern telling-off from the teacher, Billy left the room.
► reprimand when someone is officially told that they should not have done something, especially by warning them that they will be punished more severely if they do it again: · This time the police let him go with a reprimand as it was his first offence.a severe reprimand: · David was fined £100, and Louis was given a severe reprimand for his behaviour.
► lecture when you talk to someone for a long time in order to tell them that they should not have done something, especially in a way that they find annoying: lecture about: · She launched into another one of her lectures about why we should always do our homework.
to tell someone off► tell somebody off · She's always telling her kids off and shouting at them.tell sb off for · Did your Dad tell you off for getting home late?tell sb off about · The manager said my work wasn't good enough. He really told me off about it.get told off · I was always getting told off for things I hadn't done when I was a kid.
► give somebody a talking-to also give somebody a telling-off British to tell someone off, especially a child, to make it clear that you disapprove of something they have done: · Addicts don't stop what they're doing just because someone gives them a talking-to.· I remember being late for school and the teacher giving me such a telling-off.give somebody a good talking-to/telling-off: · You should give that child a good talking-to, if you want my opinion.
► lecture spoken to talk angrily to someone for a long time, especially in a way that they think is not necessary or fair: · He was lectured by the headmaster in front of the whole school.lecture somebody on/about something: · She's always lecturing me on bad manners.· After the violence on the field, the manager lectured the team about acceptable standards of behaviour.
► scold especially American if a parent, teacher, or other adult scolds a child, they tell them off: · I dreaded the thought of going home and being scolded by my father.scold somebody for something: · Don't scold him for doing badly at school, he's doing his best.· Our parents were strict and we were frequently scolded for our bad behaviour.
► rebuke to talk severely to someone in order to criticize them for doing something which they knew was wrong: · When the extent of the pollution became known, the company was publicly rebuked by the Governor.rebuke somebody for (doing) something: · Amnesty International rebuked the British government for its treatment of the refugees.· Welfare workers were sternly rebuked by the court for ignoring the woman's plea for help.
► reprimand to officially tell someone that they have done something wrong or illegal, especially by warning them that if they do it again they will be punished: · After the trial two police officers were suspended from duty; four others were reprimanded.reprimand somebody for (doing) something: · The man was released after being officially reprimanded for illegal possession of a knife.reprimand somebody severely: · The foreman reprimanded the workers severely for not following safety procedures.
► pull somebody up British to tell someone off for doing something that you do not approve of but that is not very bad: pull sb up for: · Our teachers are always pulling us up for wearing the wrong uniform.pull sb up on: · I felt I had to pull her up on her lateness.
► have a bone to pick with spoken use this to tell someone that they have done something to annoy you and that you are going to tell them off about it: · I've got a bone to pick with you - what are all these lies you've been spreading about me?