kick in the teeth


Also found in: Acronyms.

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.
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

kick in the teeth

verb
See kick in the seat of the pants
See also: kick, teeth
References in periodicals archive ?
In my personal opinion, this draft decision is a real kick in the teeth for consumers and they will be paying the price for it for years to come."
Airlines link 'kick in teeth for consumers'
Joe Anderson, spokesman for Teesside Young Labour, said: "Freezing the minimum wage is a kick in the teeth for young people who are struggling to afford the increased costs of transport, study and living.
Wages ruling rapped
Make no bones about it - it is a major kick in the teeth. We now have to be big enough to take it on the chin, dust ourselves down and get back on the rails.
McDONALD: IT HAS BEEN A DREADFUL WEEK.. WE'VE NO EXCUSES
Duff said: "I must admit it was a bit of a kick in the teeth after two months out to hear about it.
FOOTBALL: Duff takes a 'kick in the teeth'
"This shows the poor regard that this Government holds this region in, and a real kick in the teeth. I sincerely hope that the Labour MPs in the West Midlands kick up a stink to change the Government's mind." The plan would have allowed the seven local councils to raise cash themselves, instead of depending on handouts from Whitehall..
Cash blow for Brum in region race
It was a kick in the teeth and I was sent out on loan at Wolves."
football ROUND-UP: Carlos is back to his old self
"This is another kick in the teeth for Scottish football.
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The decision not to make available a series of dementia drugs to Alzheimer's sufferers is "a kick in the teeth for millions of people", a charity said today.
Anger over drugsruling
SHADOW Wales Rural Affairs Minister Helen Mary Jones says proposals to make farmers pay more of the cost of disease outbreaks are another kick in the teeth.
'Unfair' disease levy sparks anger
It smacks of a kick in the teeth for one dentist who is more than happy to take on patients on the NHS.
Battle an inspiration
Secondly Tony Blair's decision to scrap the Welsh Secretary post within the Cabinet and join it with the Scottish Office, with a Scottish lord overseeing Welsh affairs, is not only a slap in the face for democracy but also a kick in the teeth to the people of Wa es Andrew T Nutt Membership Officer, Plaid Cymru, Heolddu Road, Bargoed
VIEWPOINTS: A kick in the teeth for us
But one assembly worker, who did not wish to be named, described the severance terms as "a kick in the teeth".
'Kick in the teeth'
The Pack Meadow boss described the last-gasp 3-2 reverse to title-chasing Coventry Sphinx as "a real kick in the teeth".
Adams is upbeat; NON-LEAGUE NEWS
But Hughes has got Wales so close, for so many months, to theEuro 2004 finals,failure now would be a kick in the teeth.
FOOTBALL: History's weighing heavy on new crop
WELSH try-scorer Jamie Robinson admitted conceding three New Zealand scores in the dying minutes of defeat was a kick in the teeth.
Rugby Union: Robinson upset at late surge by All Blacks
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