give someone stick—(UK coll.) rebuke or reprimand a person:
- She really gave him stick about the way he made a mess of the contract negotiations.
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase give it some stick—(UK coll., of a vehicle) put more force into it; speed it up:
- Peter gave it some stick and cleared the hill with no problems.
take a stick to someone—hit a person:
- Gossip columnists had their tongues set a wagging when Jiri took a stick to his producer in a hotel lobby