hairdryer treatment
Britishnoun
Etymology
Origin of hairdryer treatment
C21: from the supposed similarity between this experience and having a hot hairdryer too close to one's head
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But leading a side is about more than being able to deliver the hairdryer treatment, and Muscat has shown he can win in three different countries.
From BBC • Oct. 14, 2025
Ms Sridhar later tweeted that she was "completely aligned" with the Scottish government's approach, prompting Conservative MSP Ruth Davidson to suggest the advisor had "got the hairdryer treatment over the phone".
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2020
Gerard Piqué has revealed it was Roy Keane rather than Sir Alex Ferguson and the infamous hairdryer treatment that struck fear into him during his four-year spell at Manchester United.
From The Guardian • Oct. 2, 2014
That's why he ended up getting the "hairdryer" treatment, and losing his lunchtime.
From The Guardian • Jun. 10, 2014
He has given phrases to the dictionary - Fergie Time, the hairdryer treatment, squeaky-bum time.
From BBC • May 9, 2013
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.