read the riot act

v. give someone a strict scolding, reprimand strongly

For the album by Pearl Jam see Riot Act (album).For Xbox 360 game called Riot Act in Japan, see Crackdown.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 action. The Act, whose long title was "An act for preventing tumults and riotous assemblies, and for the more speedy and effectual punishing the rioters", came into force on August 1, 1715, and remained on the statute books until 1973.
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give someone a strong warning or scolding The teacher read the riot act to her students when they began to misbehave in class.

Synonyms and related words:
admonish, bring to book, call to account, chastise, chide, correct, have words with, lecture, objurgate, rate, rebuke, reprehend, reprimand, reprove, scold, set down, set straight, spank, straighten out, take down, take to task, upbraid