[Vocabulary] Talk at / to be talked at?

[TitoBr]

Hello!

What's to be said in a situation involving 3 people: me, B and C.

B and I are together doing something. I do something wrong and B is now concerned that C will complain. B says: You're going to be talked at that; You'll have to listen for that...

B and I know that C will hold me responsible and also lecture me on what I did. But what B could say?

Cheers,
Tito

 

[SoothingDave]

"Lecture" is a good word. You could also say that you would be "given a talking to."

You wouldn't say "talked at."

("Talk at" is used when someone complains about a lack of effective communication, especially in a relationship. "He doesn't talk to me, he talks at me.")

 

[TitoBr]

Thank you, Dave!

I had this misconception (or fossilized mistake, if you prefer) about the usage of talk at for years. Allow me to write things down, it helps me to internalize.

So, if you do something wrong and a person wants to complain about it, you'll be given a talking to. Whenever you don't communicate well you talk at a person, usually in relationships.

 

[SoothingDave]

You are given a "talking to" by someone in a position of authority over you.

And a person who "talks at" someone else is not good at, or uninterested in, listening.