the origin of "to give someone a dressing down" (2025)

What's the origin of "to give someone a dressing down"? I looked it up on google but couldn't find it. It's probably extremely obvious to native speakers.

I found on
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1325694
that it's "mostly used in the military." What would "dress down" mean there literally? Demoting someone?

susanna76 said:

What's the origin of "to give someone a dressing down"? I looked it up on google but couldn't find it. It's probably extremely obvious to native speakers.

I found on
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1325694
that it's "mostly used in the military." What would "dress down" mean there literally? Demoting someone?

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We maybe need the dictionary men for this. I've come across two explanations.

1. To dress someone is an old expression for to punish them. The down was added in the 19th century.

2. That it's a nautical expression. When sails became old and sere and no longer windproof, they were dressed down: taken down and re-dressed with oil and wax, to make them hold the wind again. A sailor who was dressed down was thus treated in a way which would dramatically improve his effectiveness.

These days it means to give someone a very severe talking to.

Thomas Tompion said:

We maybe need the dictionary men for this. I've come across two explanations.

1. To dress someone is an old expression for to punish them. The down was added in the 19th century.

2. That it's a nautical expression. When sails became old and sere and no longer windproof, they were dressed down: taken down and re-dressed with oil and wax, to make them hold the wind again. A sailor who was dressed down was thus treated in a way which would dramatically improve his effectiveness.

These days it means to give someone a very severe talking to.

Click to expand...

This is truly fascinating, Thomas. I really appreciate your response.

Online Etymology Dictionary (often using the OED as a source) offers:

c.1330, "make straight," from O.Fr. dresser "put right, put straight," from V.L. *directiare, from L. directus "direct, straight." ... Original sense survives in military meaning "align columns of troops." Dress up "attire elaborately" is from 1674; ... To dress (someone) down (1769) is ironical.

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It may be more literal, less figurative, than we would imagine.

Would that "anyone" be any-BE-speaking-one? My parade-ground training was limited to marching bands, but I don't think I've heard the term in a U.S. military context, and cannot find it in any AE military glossaries.

Edit: Here is another notch in the Great BE AE Divide:

Commonwealth Version
Dressing right, Dress, or just Right Dress, - all personnel in front row and right side column except the right marker take one step forward, pause, and only the front rank bring up their right arms parallel to the ground. At the same time, all members of the formation snap their heads so they're facing right.

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American Version

Dress Right, DRESS - all personnel in the unit except the soldiers at the far left bring up their left arms parallel to the ground and at the same time snap their heads so they're facing right. After this, they pause, and then shuffle back to a new position, where their hand is extremely close to the soldier's shoulder on their left.

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Not to be confused with the tailor's question about which side the client dresses on...

You'll have to ask wikipedia. Maybe they explain it better in the entry for AE-cross-dressers?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_parade

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill_commands
Ó Dheis-Deasaíg ----- Right-Dress