Tell Off 's definition, meaning and history

Meaning of “tell off”

The most common meaning of “tell someone off” is to angrily scold or reprimand them for something they’ve done wrong. It’s an informal way of saying you’re expressing disapproval and anger.

For example, you might say “I told the kids off for leaving their toys all over the floor.”

Here are some other things to know about “tell someone off”:

• It can also be used as a noun, like “He got a telling off for being late.”
• There’s a stronger version, “tell someone where to get off,” which is a very rude way of shutting someone down.
• Less commonly, “tell off” can mean to count and assign something, but this usage is quite rare.

“tell off” can also be used in a nautical context to mean “to change direction”. This is less common in everyday speech.

History of “tell off”

The exact origin of “tell someone off” for scolding someone is a bit murky, but we can trace its usage back a decent way. Here’s what we know:

• The noun is older: The earliest recorded use seems to be the noun form, “telling-off,” which appeared in the early 1700s according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
• Verb usage likely came later: The verb form, “tell someone off,” seems to have emerged sometime in the mid-20th century, likely based on the existing noun. Evidence of this usage shows up in transcripts and reports from the 1940s onwards.
• American origin is a possibility: While the exact source is unknown, some evidence suggests “tell someone off” might have originated in American English before being adopted by British English.
• Military connection? There’s a fringe theory that “tell off” might be connected to the military term “tell,” where soldiers would count themselves off in order. However, this connection is debated by linguists.

Overall, “tell someone off” is a relatively recent idiom, likely developing in the 20th century, with the noun form appearing earlier.

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