to rub someone's nose; to scold
Meanings
3 senses · 7 examplesverb
to rub someone's nose (with a finger); to punish playfully
informalA light, playful punishment often used in games (like cards) among friends or children.
You lost, let me rub your nose!
The person who loses at cards gets their nose rubbed.
verb
to rub one's own nose; to signal someone's embarrassment
informalA gesture where one rubs their own nose to tease someone for being embarrassed or feeling ashamed.
He got shy, so I quickly rubbed my own nose to tease him.
When the child was caught doing something wrong, his mother rubbed her own nose to mock him.
verb
to scold; to reprimand; to give someone a talking-to
informalA colloquial (dialectal) metaphor for being scolded or reprimanded harshly. Commonly used in Northern Chinese dialects.
He got a severe scolding from the company commander.
If you don't finish your homework, you're definitely going to get scolded by Mom.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
For being late, I got a reprimand from the manager.