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Throw the Book at Someone

Severe punishment for breaking of certain rules or laws; highest level of penalty

Etymology:

  • The phrase includes the word book that means the book of the law including all the penalties that can be imposed on someone. Now imagine that book is thrown by the judge to someone guilt of something and hitting him or her in the worse possible manner. This was basically the image of the writer who introduced this idiom.
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Samantha was fired from her job because of her irresponsible act but I think that really was throwing the book at her.

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Submitted on February 25, 2019

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Nearby phrases

Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to Throw the Book at Someone

throw somebody a curvethrow shapesthrow to the dogsthrow togetherthrow someone a curvethrow to the wolvesthrow uptickle someone's fancythrow to the wolvesthrow one's toys out of the pramThrow Your Weight Aroundthrow upthrow somebody a curvethrow one's weight around

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    "Throw the Book at Someone." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Dec. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/throw-the-book-at-someone_45085>.

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