read the riot act

Cultural  

1. To chastise loudly, or to issue a severe warning: “After the students stormed the administration building, the president of the university came out and read them the riot act.” In England, unruly crowds that did not disperse after the Riot Act was read to them became subject to the force of the law.

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read the riot act Idioms  

1. Warn or reprimand forcefully or severely, as in When he was caught throwing stones at the windows, the principal read him the riot act. This term alludes to an actual British law, the Riot Act of 1714, which required reading a proclamation so as to disperse a crowd; those who did not obey within an hour were guilty of a felony. [First half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

She sang with Muppets, talked with the aliens and read the riot act to Philip Seymour Hoffman.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2024

He added that the "idiocy" of Mr Hancock's response, as well as then-attorney general Suella Braverman, risked undermining Covid laws, adding: "I'm ready to read the riot act as required."

From BBC • Nov. 8, 2023

"It reads a lot like a stern but polite reprimand of a child caught red handed who needs to be read the riot act," he wrote.

From Salon • Sep. 22, 2022

Washington was also a different team in the second half after getting read the riot act by Rivera.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 13, 2021

We collided there, so hard that when word of it got to my father's ears, he called me home and read the riot act so strong that I flared up and left.

From Big Timber A Story of the Northwest by Sinclair, Bertrand W.

Related Words

• berate
• censure
• chastise
• criticize
• excoriate
• flog
• lambaste
• lash
• penalize
• pummel
• punish
• rebuke
• reprimand
• scold
• upbraid