Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a scolding, a beating.

1800		Sporting Mag. Aug. XVI 234/2: He feelingly declared he had never received so complete a lathering in his life.
1831		Satirist (London) 30 Aug. 235/2: I give you this hint, that you may keep yourself out of hot water; for a lathering is not very pleasant.
1835		J.P. Kennedy Horse-Shoe Robinson I 25: He shut that up and double bolted it, by giving Huger a most tremenjious lathering.
1843		R. Carlton New Purchase I 169: Vain all entreaties [...] vain all pelting with clods and stones — all latherings with long bean poles!
1865		T. Carlyle Hist. of Frederick II of Prussia X Bk XVII 275: Such a pell-mell, such a welter [...] our King must have given them a dreadful lathering .
1888		Kipling ‘The Likes O’ Us’ in Civil & Military Gaz. 4 Feb. (1909) 103: I give 'im a latherin' at Deelally all for to keep ’im straight,’e bein’ such as wants a latherin’.
1954		J.A. Weingarten Amer. Dict. Sl. 222/2: Lathering, a scolding; a beating, a thrashing.