get on someone's case

• on someone's case, be on someone's case; all variants of earlier on someone's back

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get on someone's case (third-person singular simple present gets on someone's case, present participle getting on someone's case, simple past got on someone's case, past participle (UK) got on someone's case or (US) gotten on someone's case)

1. (informal) To lecture, berate, or complain to somebody, especially to find fault or criticize.

   His boss was always getting on his case about his standards of dress, even though he worked well and seldom left the back room.

• harangue, harass