Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) a telling-off, a scolding.

1899–1900		C.L. Cullen Tales of the Ex-Tanks 87: I think I may say, without fear of a call-down, that this thing of going back to your old boyhood home is a pretty hard one to put over the plate.
1909		W.M. Raine Brand Blotters (1912) 143: That’s twice hand-runnin’ I get a call-down. You’re mighty high-heeled today.
1916		O.O. McIntyre New York Day By Day 11 Oct. [synd. col.] Here is a fellow that did not flinch from shrapnel, but quaked at a call-down from his superior.
1917		Wodehouse ‘Crowned Heads’ in Man with Two Left Feet 88: The feller that tries to get gay with me is going to get a call-down that’ll make him holler for his winter overcoat.
1928		M.C. Sharpe Chicago May (1929) 53: What does this woman do, but wise up to my sucker, with the result that he gave me the haughty call-down and I didn’t get the money.
1930		C.L. Edholm ‘Gorilla Girl’ in Gun Molls Oct. 🌐 It was no place for that young fellow and Dan was ready to give him a call-down if they should meet.
1934		L. Hughes ‘Gangster in Khaki’ in Battle Stories 🌐 Aw, he gave me a callin’ down about somethin’ — that’s all.
1945		R.L. Bellem ‘Dead Don’t Dream’ in Hollywood Detective July 🌐 Naturally I’ll give him a calldown for that when he’s brought in, but it’s not really important.
1957		Kerouac On The Road (1972) 60: His girl Lee Ann had a bad tongue and gave him a calldown every day.