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hairdryer treatment

British

noun

informal (esp in sport) the practice of shouting at someone at close quarters in order to express one's displeasure at something he or she has done

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Ferguson was famous for giving players the "hairdryer treatment" but admitted he got calmer as he got older.

From BBC • Sep. 22, 2015

Facing him across the dispatch box must be like having Sir Alex Ferguson give you the hairdryer treatment at a range of two inches.

From The Guardian • May 14, 2013

He has given phrases to the dictionary - Fergie Time, the hairdryer treatment, squeaky-bum time.

From BBC • May 9, 2013

However, Ferguson also discussed the need for controlled discipline and respect, alluding to his famous "hairdryer treatment" technique.

From The Guardian • Dec. 19, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023