scold vs tell off

RJ Would you please tell me if you see any difference between these two words? Even subtle.

Tell someone off is an informal phrasal verb, which means to reprimand someone.

Prajwal

Scold is used for children or young people, and sometimes birds:

Mothers scold their children.
The jay scolded a cat walking under the tree with her nest.

"Tell off" is used between adults It is very informal.
I want to tell off my boss for making us work so much overtime.

Hi,

What's the subtle difference between tell off and give someone a piece of one's mind?

Is the idiom 'give someone a piece of one's mind' also very informal?

Thanks.

AnonymousWhat's the subtle difference between tell off and give someone a piece of one's mind

The subtlety is too fine for me to sense.

AnonymousIs the idiom 'give someone a piece of one's mind' also very informal?

Yes.

Hi,

Is the phrase 'give someone a piece of one's mind' used for both children and adults?

Is it OK to use it in the examples above?

Mothers give their children a piece of their mind.
The jay gave a cat a piece of its mind.

Thanks.

AnonymousMothers give their children a piece of their mind.

Probably not—the idiom suggests a rational (if angry) argument that a child is not likely to appreciate.

AnonymousThe jay gave the cat a piece of its mind.

Very nice use of the idiom!

Hi Mister,

Does it sound natural to use tell off in this example?

The jay told off the cat walking under the tree with her nest.

Thanks.

Scold is rare now and very old fashioned. Tell off is much more common.

AnonymousDoes it sound natural to use tell off in this example?The jay told off the cat walking under the tree with her nest.

No. Why have you changed the rest of your sentence? When exploring one grammar or vocabulary point, do not introduce other variables. Common sense should tell you that.

AnonymousScold is rare now and very old fashioned.

Not in American English. I hear it quite often.

AnonymousTell off is much more common.

Only when one is being rude.