throw the book at (to)
1throw the book at — (informal) 1. To administer a lengthy and detailed reproof to 2. To punish severely • • • Main Entry: ↑book * * * I informal charge or punish (someone) as severely as possible II …
2throw the book at sb — INFORMAL ► to punish someone as severely as possible for breaking the law: »The US tax authorities threw the book at the European accountancy group over its tax saving schemes. Main Entry: ↑throw …
3throw the book at — (someone) informal to punish or criticize someone as severely as possible. It was the fifth time Frank had been arrested for drink driving, so the judge threw the book at him …
4throw the book at — ► throw the book at informal charge or punish (someone) as severely as possible. Main Entry: ↑book …
5throw the book at — to charge with every feasible offence Mainly police jargon, the book being the manual setting out criminal offences: You ll just have to throw the book at me... I don t sell out even to good police officers. (Chandler, 1958) …
6throw the book at — punish to the maximum, come down hard Drunk drivers deserve the full penalty. Throw the book at them! …
7throw the book at someone — informal phrase to punish someone very severely If a teacher does anything wrong, they throw the book at him. Thesaurus: to punish someonesynonym punishment of being legally killedhyponym Main entry …
8throw the book at somebody — throw the ˈbook at sb idiom (informal) to punish sb who has committed an offence as severely as possible • ‘Get this man down to the station and throw the book at him!’ yelled Curtis. Main entry: ↑bookidiom …
9throw the book at someone — If you throw the book at someone, you punish them as severely as possible …
10throw the book at someone — throw the book at (someone) informal to punish or criticize someone as severely as possible. It was the fifth time Frank had been arrested for drink driving, so the judge threw the book at him …
