give a red face

give (someone) a red face

To cause one to feel, and exhibit signs of, intense embarrassment. The realization that the mechanic he'd yelled at over the phone wasn't the one who'd worked on his car gave Tom a red face. We gave Julie a red face when we informed her that she'd accidentally sent that private email to the entire office. I was the one who told the candidate that her mic was still on as she was talking backstage. Boy, did that give her a red face!

See also: face, give, red

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

give someone a red face

Fig. to make someone visibly embarrassed. We really gave him a red face when we caught him eavesdropping. His error gave him a very red face.

See also: face, give, red

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.