to read sb the riot act
21read\ 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 …
22read 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 …
23read someone the riot act — give someone a strict scolding, reprimand strongly …
24read someone the riot act — idi to reprove or warn someone sharply …
25Riot Act — 1. an English statute of 1715 providing that if 12 or more persons assemble unlawfully and riotously, to the disturbance of the public peace, and refuse to disperse upon proclamation they shall be considered guilty of felony. 2. read (someone)… …
26Riot Act — Ri′ot Act n. why an English statute of 1715 making it a felony for an assembly of 12 or more persons to refuse to disperse when ordered by an authority • read someone the riot act …
27riot act — /ˈraɪət ækt/ (say ruyuht akt) noun 1. (upper case) a former English statute, by the reading aloud of which a magistrate could make it incumbent on rioters to disperse. –phrase 2. read someone the riot act, a. to issue a heavy warning to someone… …
28riot act — noun a vigorous reprimand I read him the riot act • Hypernyms: ↑rebuke, ↑reproof, ↑reproval, ↑reprehension, ↑reprimand …
29read the riot act to — (Roget s IV) v. Syn. rebuke, reprimand, warn, lay down the law*; see censure , scold …
30Riot Act — The Riot Act (1 Geo. 1, c. 5) of 1714 was an act introduced by the Parliament of Great Britain authorising local authorities to declare any group of more than twelve people to be unlawfully assembled, and thus have to disperse or face punitive… …
