Chew是“咀嚼”，这个短语是什么意思呢？请看对话：

    A: What’s the big bouquet for?

    B: It’s a makeup gift. My wife chewed me out for hours last night because I forgot her birthday.

    Note: This is a figurative saying that means to “scold someone.” The “chewing out” has to be done by someone in authority. Although the Oxford English Dictionary cites examples only from 1948 on, the expression became common in the U.S. armed forces during World War II, and easily moved to civilian life. When visibly chewing, one’s mouth moves a lot, and when a superior chews someone out they presumably use a lot of jaw motion, especially if the chewing out was done loudly. With the emphasis on jaw motion comes the feeling of being chewed up. One sometimes hears “he chewed me up and then spat me out.” The kind of authority needed before chewing someone out doesn’t have to be official. It is perfectly appropriate for a wife to chew her husband out for matters pertaining to domestic life.