What is the origin and meaning of the expression “to haul someone over the coals”?
(J. Kasturi, Chennai) This is an expression that is frequently used in business and politics. When you “haul someone over the coals” you criticize them severely for something that they have done. You reprimand them for some wrongdoing. Americans tend to say “rake someone over the coals”. Here are a few examples. *My boss hauled me over the coals for showing up late for the meeting. *Runa raked her husband over the coals for forgetting her birthday. *The Minister was hauled over the coals for not supporting the bill. Raking people over the coals was something that was practiced in Europe a few centuries ago. If people suspected that you were practicing witchcraft, or that you didn’t believe in things that the church said, then you were accused of being a heretic and dragged over red-hot coals of a slow fire. If you survived the ordeal, then you were declared innocent. If you didn’t, well it was just too bad. S.