call on the carpet

1 definition found

call on the carpet - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  call on the carpet
      v 1: censure severely or angrily; "The mother scolded the child
           for entering a stranger's car"; "The deputy ragged the
           Prime Minister"; "The customer dressed down the waiter for
           bringing cold soup" [syn: call on the carpet, take to task
           , rebuke, rag, trounce, reproof, lecture,
           reprimand, jaw, dress down, call down, scold,
           chide, berate, bawl out, remonstrate, chew out,
           chew up, have words, lambaste, lambast]