kick in the teeth

a kick in the teeth

A humiliating disappointment or setback. Losing my job after my car broke down was a real kick in the teeth. Having to move back in with my parents at age 40 is a real in the teeth all right. Losing the championship match was a kick in the teeth, but I knew I just had to train even harder and try again next year.

See also: kick, teeth

kick (one) in the teeth

1. To criticize, exploit, insult, or fail to help one who is in a trusting or vulnerable position. Can Jeff's employee review wait until next week? His girlfriend just left him, and I don't want to kick him in the teeth. After telling us we'd lost our Christmas bonuses, the company kicked us in the teeth by saying we'd be expected to work Christmas Eve.

2. To deliver a humiliating disappointment or setback to one. Losing to our cross-town rivals because of such a terrible call by the ref really kicked us in the teeth.

See also: kick, teeth

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

kick in the teeth

verb

See kick in the seat of the pants

See also: kick, teeth

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.