have words with

have words with idiom
Quarrel with, scold, as in If Pete keeps on pushing Billy I'm going to have words with him. This phrase dates from the late 1700s, although the use of words for an altercation is much older. Also see have a word with.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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