cantar las cuarenta

== Spanish == === Etymology === The phrases stems from the card game tute === Verb === cantar las cuarenta (first-person singular present canto las cuarenta, first-person singular preterite canté las cuarenta, past participle cantado las cuarenta) (idiomatic) to read the riot act; tick off; scold; reprimand Synonym: leer la cartilla (idiomatic) (to someone) to state an opinion firmly and even bluntly, without caring if the other person might get offended (idiomatic, rare) to score a big achievement or victory in any field === Further reading === “cantar las cuarenta”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025