rub (one's) nose in it
To remind one of one's failures or wrongdoings. Whenever I make a mistake, my obnoxious co-worker is always eager to rub my nose in it.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
rub someone's nose in it
Bring something, especially an error or fault, repeatedly and forcefully to someone's attention. For example, I know I was wrong, but don't rub my nose in it. This expression alludes to the unkind practice of housebreaking a dog by rubbing its nose in its feces. [Mid-1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
rub someone's nose in it
or rub someone's nose in the dirt
INFORMALCOMMON If you rub someone's nose in it or rub their nose in the dirt, you embarrass or upset them by reminding them of something that they do not want to think about, such as a failure or a mistake that they have made. Okay, I got it wrong — there's no need to rub my nose it it! Sometimes the winners could not resist rubbing the enemy's nose in the dirt.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012