give someone a rocket (chiefly British/Australian)
colloquial phrase

- if someone gives you a rocket, they criticize you severely

Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

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WORD ORIGIN

Rockets rise rapidly, propelled by the explosion of burning gases. They are fast and create enormous heat. Some rockets are designed for space missions, while others are deployed as weapons. So if someone is on the receiving end of a rocket, it is not a pleasant experience, thus giving rise to the expression “give someone a rocket.”

The word “rocket” comes from the Italian “rocca”, the part of a weaver’s loom that held the wool, and the diminutive form of this, "rocchetta", came to be used for a self-propelling cylinder in various mechanical devices. In French, this became "roquette", and the word finally entered English as "rocket" in the 17th century.

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SYNONYMS

If a rocket is not to hand, there are other methods:

- blast = Jim blasted him for spending too much money on the project.

- slam = Susie got slammed for being late for an important meeting.

- lambaste = Their boss lambasted the entire department for not being careful about expenses.

- get hell = Rob got hell for being late with the report.

- rake over the coals = Mandy raked him over the coals for not checking the figures.

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PRACTICE OWAD in an English conversation, say something like:

“They GOT A ROCKET from their project manager for being late for the client meeting.”

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