1
general::
Phrase(s): heads will roll
Fig. people will get into severe trouble. • When the company’s year-end results are known, heads will roll. • Heads will roll when the principal sees the damaged classroom.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
Someone will be severely punished, as in If no one meets the chairman's plane, heads will roll. This hyperbolic expression alludes to the punishment of being beheaded.
American Heritage Idioms