hairdryer treatment
English edit
Etymology edit
From hairdryer + treatment (the image being of shouting at someone so close to their face that your hot breath could dry their hair).
Noun edit
hairdryer treatment (plural hairdryer treatments)
- a confrontation where someone stands very close to a subordinate and lambasts them very loudly.
- 2013, John Prescott, Ed Miliband is Labour's Alex Ferguson and he needs to give any slacking ministers the hairdryer treatment, in Mirror online, 20 Aug 2013,
- If Shadow Cabinet members aren’t pulling their weight, give them the hairdryer treatment and kick ’em out.
Usage notes edit
This phrase was at first only used about the UK football manager Alex Ferguson's dressing room rants at his players, but later spread to similar action by other football managers, and now even outside the sport.