Read the Riot Act — VOA Learning English
Topics: суспільство
Beginning
And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
In life, there are times when we must tell others about their bad behavior or unsafe actions. Sometimes that means giving them a strongly worded warning or scolding them. We can also read them the riot act.
A riot is a violent public disorder. And that is where the expression comes from.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary says it dates back to the early 1700s England, when opponents of King George I began a series of protests.
The British government wanted to stop the protests. So, they passed a law called the "Riot Act." It permitted officials to break up gatherings of 12 or more people by reading a speech out-loud. If the…
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