name and shame

name and shame

1. verb phrase To publicly name or otherwise identify a person, group, or organization that is guilty of some criminal or anti-social act so as to expose him, her, or them to public shame. The federal agency's plan—to name and shame local criminals across the country with a published list of their names and convictions—is being branded by some advocacy groups as a violation of privacy.
2. noun phrase The act of exposing a culpable person, group, or organization to public shame. Look, I'm just as upset as anyone, but I'm not willing to take part in some name and shame against everyone in the neighborhood!
See also: and, name, shame
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

name and shame

If something such as a newspaper or an official organization names and shames people or companies who have performed badly or who have done something wrong, it tells people their names. The government will name and shame the worst performing airlines.
See also: and, name, shame
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

name and shame

identify wrongdoers by name with the intention of embarrassing them into improving their behaviour.
1998 New Scientist I'm all for naming and shaming, as this is worth many times more than fines.
See also: and, name, shame
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • break out
  • answer to
  • go on
  • go on (doing something)
  • Go on!
  • going on
  • gone on
  • cross over
  • face off
  • face-off
References in periodicals archive
TWO Merseyside firms appear in the Government's latest "name and shame" list of 92 employers failing to pay their staff the minimum wage.
THE Government was accused of breaching taxpayer confidentiality yesterday after announcing plans to name and shame tax evaders.
Their councillors actually name and shame the yobs.
Name and shame parents and bring back corporal punishment into the hands of both parents and schools.