Definition
To punish; to rebuke.
Origins
From 19th century, as a threatening rebuke to an impertinent (by 19th century standards) question of "what for?". Parent: "Go to your room." Child: "What for?" Parent (angrily): "Disobey me, and I'll give you 'what for'!"
In Context
- "She gave him what for all right. But you could see she was ever so pleased and she went around telling everybody about it."
- "2002, Joss Whedon, "The Ballad of Jayne Cobb" in "Jaynestown", Firefly. He robbed from the rich, and he gave to the poor / Stood up to The Man and he gave him what for."
- "... 'e gived 'em up, an' repented somethin' horrid — there still bein' the buns to come — but Miss Soapy she gave 'im what- for-proper, she did!"
Also Said As
- give someone a piece of one's mind
- let someone have it
- ;
- give it to someone
- give what for
- admonish
- animadvert
- bash
- bawl out
- blame
- blast
- berate
- berisp
- castigate
- censure
- charge
- chastise
- chew out
- chide
- condemn
- criticize
- denounce
- denunciate
- deprecate
- derogate
- dispraise
- drag
- dress down
- eat someone alive
- excoriate
- find fault
- fulminate
- get at
- get down
- get up
- give somebody a piece of one's mind
- give somebody what-for
- inveigh
- lace into
- lambaste
- lay into
- lecture
- light into
- objurgate
- pooh-pooh
- put someone on blast
- rate
- read somebody the riot act
- rebuke
- reprehend
- reprimand
- reproach
- reprove
- rip into
- rubbish
- savage
- scold
- skewer
- slam
- slate
- tear into
- tell off
- threap
- tick off
- tosh
- keelhaul
- upbraid
- vilify
- vituperate
- amerce
- castigate
- chasten
- chastise
- come down on
- correct
- fix someone's wagon
- have someone's guts for garters
- have someone's head
- have someone's hide
- give it to someone
- give someone what for
- give what for
- gruel
- malavogue
- nail someone to the wall
- penalize
- penance
- punish
- tan someone's hide
- tar out
- teach someone a lesson