tear a strip off someone

• tear strips off someone

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tear a strip off someone (third-person singular simple present tears a strip off someone, present participle tearing a strip off someone, simple past tore a strip off someone, past participle torn a strip off someone)

1. (slang) To scold vigorously.
   • 1952, New Zealand Parliament, Parliamentary Debates‎, volume 295, page 116:

     Last night the honourable member for Miramar was going to tear a strip off the Minister of Works; […] .

   • 2012, Kimberley Rose Dawson, Carousel: The Relapse: Spinning Out of Control‎, page 260:

     But before Debra went out the door behind her she proceeded to tear a strip off both Miguel and Anna Maria.

     Miguel ended up phoning Liz at home and tearing a strip off her for telling Debra to tell him off.

   • 2013, Lorraine Bateman; Paul Cole, Blue Days and Fair, page 211:

     No doubt Mother tore a strip off him last night. She will never forgive him for turning away a suitor.

• (scold vigorously): excoriate, give someone a dressing-down, haul someone over the coals, rake someone over the coals, read someone the riot act, tell someone off