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throw the book at

To apply the harshest possible punishment to.

Etymology:

  • The meaning "sum of criminal charges" is from 1926, hence slang phrase throw the book at (1932) (Found here: https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=%22throw%20the%20book%22 )
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We thought the judge was going to go easy on the first time offender, but instead, he threw the book at him and gave him the maximum sentence allowed by law.

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Submitted on September 01, 2009

Modified by TriplePurple on August 06, 2024

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Nearby phrases

Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to throw the book at

Throw Your Hat into the Ringthrow to the wolvesthrow to the dogsthrow one's hat over the wallthrow to the windthrow outthrow under the busthrow oneself atthrow togetherthrow somebody a curvethrow one's toys out of the pramthrow to the dogsthrow upthrow over

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    "throw the book at." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 3 Dec. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/throw-the-book-at_7511>.

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