Region: US | Usage example: The paperwork delays gave us a bad time before the merger closed.

Give a bad time

Meaning

Make someone's situation unpleasant or difficult.

Warns that a person or process will be disagreeable or punitive.

Origin notes can vary by region and source; this page gives the commonly reported explanation and usage context.

American blue-collar speech from the mid-20th century, often used by workers and police.

Printed in US newspapers in the 1950s to describe rough treatment from officials.