dish out something

dish out something
dish out (something) to give something too freely and in large amounts.

The mayor was famous for dishing out political favors to his pals.

Usage notes: often it is criticism or unfriendly remarks that are dished out:

She dished out insults as easily as some of us dish out praise.

sometimes appears as the full expression you can dish it out but you can't take it - you can give criticism freely but you cannot deal with it yourself:

I try not to argue with him because I know he can dish it out but he can't take it.

Related vocabulary: dish the dirt on someone/something Etymology: based on the literal meaning of dish out food (= to serve food)

New idioms dictionary. 2014.

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  • dish out — (something) to give something too freely and in large amounts. The mayor was famous for dishing out political favors to his pals. Usage notes: often it is criticism or unfriendly remarks that are dished out: She dished out insults as easily as… …   New idioms dictionary

  • dish out — verb 1. administer or bestow, as in small portions administer critical remarks to everyone present dole out some money shell out pocket money for the children deal a blow to someone the machine dispenses soft drinks • Syn: ↑distribu …   Useful english dictionary

  • dish out — 1) PHRASAL VERB If you dish out something, you distribute it among a number of people. [INFORMAL] [V P n (not pron)] Doctors, not pharmacists, are responsible for dishing out drugs... [V n P] The council wants to dish the money out to specific… …   English dictionary

  • dish out — phrasal verb [transitive] Word forms dish out : present tense I/you/we/they dish out he/she/it dishes out present participle dishing out past tense dished out past participle dished out 1) informal to give things to a number of people Some… …   English dictionary

  • dish (out) — v To serve, to do something hard or harsh. Tommy isn t afraid of flamers; he can dish it out with the best of them. 1930s …   Historical dictionary of American slang

  • dish the dirt on something — dish the dirt (on (someone/something)) to talk about other people without worrying about being truthful. E mail us and dish the dirt on anyone – husbands, kids, whoever. Did you know that now astronauts can dish the dirt from space? Related… …   New idioms dictionary

  • dish the dirt on someone — dish the dirt (on (someone/something)) to talk about other people without worrying about being truthful. E mail us and dish the dirt on anyone – husbands, kids, whoever. Did you know that now astronauts can dish the dirt from space? Related… …   New idioms dictionary

  • dish the dirt on — dish the dirt (on (someone/something)) to talk about other people without worrying about being truthful. E mail us and dish the dirt on anyone – husbands, kids, whoever. Did you know that now astronauts can dish the dirt from space? Related… …   New idioms dictionary

  • dish the dirt — (on (someone/something)) to talk about other people without worrying about being truthful. E mail us and dish the dirt on anyone – husbands, kids, whoever. Did you know that now astronauts can dish the dirt from space? Related vocabulary: dish… …   New idioms dictionary

  • dish — dish1 S3 [dıʃ] n [: Old English; Origin: disc, from Latin discus disk, plate ] 1.) a flat container with low sides, for serving food from or cooking food in →↑bowl ▪ a serving dish ▪ an ovenproof dish dish of ▪ …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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