read (sb) the Riot Act
(英式英语)严厉警告(某人)不得再犯
该习语源自1715年通过的防止暴乱的议会法案。法案规定如果十二名或以上的人集结,在宣布解散命令并宣读相关条文后仍拒绝解散,则视为非法。
- He'd put up with a lot of bad behaviour from his son and thought it was time to read him the riot act.
对于儿子的很多不良行为他一直持容忍态度,但他觉得是该严厉警告他收敛一些的时候了。