Phrase guide

have someone's guts for garters

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To reprimand severely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, idiomatic

Examples

  • If you go out and play and get your clothes dirty, I'll have your guts for garters!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: have someone's head, give someone what for, nail someone to the wall, amerce, castigate, chasten, chastise, come down on, correct, fix someone's wagon, have someone's guts for garters, have someone's hide, give it to someone, give what for, gruel, malavogue, penalize, penance, punish, tan someone's hide, tar out, teach someone a lesson

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

By metaphor from the way that humans use animal intestines as catgut for various tensile applications; compare have someone's hide.