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giving out

GIV-in OUTphrase, verbColloquial

A Hiberno-English slang term. Browse all Irish slang.

What it means

  1. Complaining, or telling someone off at length. 'Giving out to' someone is scolding them; 'giving out about' something is grumbling.

  2. Intensified as 'giving out yards' or 'giving out stink' — a sustained telling-off.

In use

  • She was giving out to me for an hour.

  • He does nothing but give out about the weather.

Where it comes from

A calque of the Irish 'ag tabhairt amach do', literally 'giving out to'. The trap for visitors is the standard English reading — nothing is being distributed, and 'she was giving out' is the opposite of generosity.