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Ne dirait-on pas qu'elles viennent tous de se prendre une engueulade maison !

I’m not sure how to interpret the expression « se prendre une engueulade » as well as « une engueulade maison ». My guess:

Oh boy, it looks like they all just got scolded at home! {verbally}

Oh boy, it looks like they all just got into a fight at home! {verbally or physically}

Incidentally: Is the word "engueulade" commonly used?

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  • Se prendre is colloquial for recevoir, subir ("receive, undergo".)

  • Une engueulade is derived from engueuler, from gueule ("animal's mouth/maw.") Engueuler is a colloquial and common term for gronder/réprimander ("to scold".)

  • Maison is used figuratively. It is here an invariable adjective and a short for fait maison ("home made") implying a good quality and carefully made product. Maison doesn't means the scold will happen at anyone's home.

Thus, se prendre une engueulade maison is to receive a sharp scolding. This is only verbal, no physical fight here.

Maison entry in the TLFi states:

II. − Adj. inv. [En appos. avec valeur expressive valorisante]
…
− Fam. Particulièrement réussi, soigné. Blague, engueulade, gifle maison. Jacques arrache à la débauche le pauvre orphelin, c'est encore le sujet, et l'objet, d'une bagarre maison (Queneau, Loin Rueil, 1944, p. 43).[Pierre Sora] l'avait levée (...) à Tanger et, après un baratin maison, l'avait ramenée à Paname (Le Breton, Rififi, 1953, p. 47).

There is also se prendre un savon with the same meaning.

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  • Merci. So does "une engueulade maison" mean the same things as "une engueulade carabinée"?
    – Con-gras-tue-les-chiens
    Jan 4, 2017 at 22:43
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    @Ahalone-zee Why not but carabinée is usually qualifying a disease or a fever.
    – jlliagre
    Jan 4, 2017 at 23:00
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    @Ahalone-zee “Carabinée” wouldn't be used here, but I think you got the gist: here maison effectively acts as an intensifier. It's home-made, custom just for you, so you're going to feel it.
    – Gilles 'SO nous est hostile'
    Jan 4, 2017 at 23:06
  • Engueulade carabinée is used too, e.g. Cerise sur le gâteau, engueulade carabinée du président au téléphone parce que j'ai accordé une avance sur sa subvention à Libération. Frédéric Mitterrand;
    – jlliagre
    Jan 5, 2017 at 1:23
  • @Gilles Now it all falls into place! Is there another instance where the adjective "maison" serves as an intensifier? I get the feeling that you cannot attach it to just about any noun left and right. Merci.
    – Con-gras-tue-les-chiens
    Jan 5, 2017 at 14:55
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"Se prendre une engueulade maison" means "to be right telling off". I hope that the pic will help you! :D enter image description here

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