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Chew someone out

Posted by Guest on March 27, 2009 at 14:07

I'm trying to understand the origin of the phrase "chew someone out." Why does it mean to reprimand someone (and yell at the person)? Is it because you turn the person into mush, as you would if you stomped all over him/her? But why the connotation (if, indeed, it's a necessary one) that the person with authority is yelling?

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