knuckle
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near the knuckle
Prone or likely to offend others, especially due to being sexually explicit or suggestive. A: "What did you think of the awards ceremony last night?" B: "I found the presenter's jokes a bit too near the knuckle for my taste." If you want to be a great comedian, you can't be afraid of getting near the knuckle from time to time.
knuckle sandwich
A punch in the mouth. If you keep mocking me, you're going to get a knuckle sandwich!
rap across the knuckles
A quick, minor punishment that serves as a warning. The public was outraged that the company only received a rap across the knuckles from the EPA after being caught illegally dumping chemicals in the river.
rap on the knuckles
A quick, minor punishment intended to serve as a warning. The public was outraged that the company only received a rap on the knuckles from the regulatory agency after being caught illegally dumping chemicals in the river.
rap over the knuckles
A quick, minor punishment intended to serve as a warning. The public was outraged that the company only received a rap over the knuckles from the regulatory agency after being caught illegally dumping chemicals in the river.
be near the knuckle
To be likely to offend others, especially due to being sexually explicit or suggestive. A: "What did you think of the awards ceremony last night?" B: "I found the presenter's jokes to be too near the knuckle for my taste." If you want to be a great comedian, you can't be afraid of being near the knuckle from time to time.
knuckle down
To begin to work on something in a determined matter. If you want to get a passing grade this semester, you'll really need to knuckle down and study hard.
knuckle under
To yield or submit to someone or something. The committee is pressuring me to approach this project differently, but I refuse to knuckle under.
See also: knuckle
go the knuckle
To engage in a fistfight (with someone). Primarily heard in Australia. He has a black eye from going the knuckle with another boy in his class.
rap (one) over the knuckles
1. Literally, to smack someone, especially a child, on the knuckles as a punishment for misbehavior. The teacher was fired for rapping students over the knuckles when they spoke out of turn.
2. By extension, to give someone a warning, verbal scolding, or a minor punishment. The public was outraged that the government merely rapped the company over the knuckles for illegally dumping chemicals in the river. The boss rapped my knuckles for coming in late on Friday.
rap (one) on the knuckles
1. Literally, to smack someone, especially a child, on the knuckles as a punishment for misbehavior. The teacher was fired for rapping students on the knuckles when they spoke out of turn.
2. By extension, to give someone a warning, verbal scolding, or a minor punishment. The public was outraged that the government merely rapped the company on the knuckles for illegally dumping chemicals in the river. The boss rapped my knuckles for coming in late on Friday.
rap (one's) knuckles
1. Literally, to smack someone, especially a child, on the knuckles as a punishment for misbehavior. The teacher was fired for rapping students' knuckles when they spoke out of turn.
2. By extension, to give someone a warning, verbal scolding, or a minor punishment. The public was outraged that the government merely rapped the company's knuckles for illegally dumping chemicals in the river. The boss rapped my knuckles for coming in late on Friday.
get (one's) knuckles rapped
1. Literally, to receive a smack on the knuckles as a punishment for misbehavior. Typically used in reference to children. You'll get your knuckles rapped by the teacher if you keep speaking out of turn.
2. By extension, to receive a warning, verbal scolding, or a minor punishment. The public was outraged that the CEO merely got his knuckles rapped for his company's illegal actions. I got my knuckles rapped by the boss for coming in late on Friday.
get one's knuckles rapped
1. Lit. to get one's knuckles struck with a ruler as a punishment. I got my knuckles rapped for whispering too much. You will have your knuckles rapped if you are not careful.
2. Fig. to receive a minor punishment. The lawyer got his knuckles rapped for talking back to the judge. Better watch your tongue if you don't want to get your knuckles rapped.
knuckle down (to something)
Fig. to get busy doing something. I want you to knuckle down to your work and stop worrying about the past. Come on. Knuckle down. Get busy.
*knuckle sandwich
Inf. a punch. (*Typically: ask for ~; get ~; give someone ~; want ~.) A: Nyah! Your mother smokes cigars! B: You want a knuckle sandwich?
knuckle under (to someone or something)
to submit to someone or something; to yield or give in to someone or something. You have to knuckle under to your boss if you expect to keep your job. I'm too stubborn to knuckle under.
See also: knuckle
rap someone across the knuckles
and rap someone on the knuckles; rap someone's knucklesto strike someone on the knuckles. As punishment, she rapped him across the knuckles. The teacher rapped the student on the knuckles.
white knuckle something
to survive something threatening through strained endurance, that is to say, holding on tight. The flight from New York was terrible. We had to white knuckle the entire flight.
knuckle down
1. Apply oneself seriously to some task or goal, as in The professor insisted that we knuckle down and get our papers in by Friday. Both this term and the rhyming synonym buckle down date from the 1860s, but the precise allusion in either is unclear.
2. See knuckle under.
knuckle under
Also, knuckle down. Give in, acknowledge defeat, as in The dean refused to knuckle under to the graduate students' demands, or He was forced to knuckle down before their threats of violence. Presumably this idiom alludes to a kneeling position with hands on the ground, knuckles down. [Mid-1700s]
See also: knuckle
rap someone's knuckles
Reprimand, as in If I'd seen John take that last piece of cake, I'd have rapped his knuckles. This term transfers a physical punishment to a verbal one. [Late 1600s]
near the knuckle
BRITISHIf something that someone says or writes is near the knuckle, it is close to the limits of what people find acceptable, for example because it is sexually explicit or offensive to particular groups. Some of the jokes in his live show were a bit near the knuckle. A lot of the material is very near the knuckle. Note: You can use near-the-knuckle before a noun. He has made a career out of near-the-knuckle comedy routines.
rap someone on the knuckles
orrap someone's knuckles
COMMON If someone in authority raps you on the knuckles or raps your knuckles, they criticize you for doing something they consider to be wrong. I was rapped on the knuckles for interfering in things that were not my concern. Note: People often use over instead of on. The report raps teachers over the knuckles for not appearing to have any influence over children at all. Note: You can also say that you have your knuckles rapped, or that you get a rap on the knuckles. The station has had its knuckles rapped for the third time by the Radio Authority. The club yesterday received a rap on the knuckles from the Football Association. Note: In the past, teachers sometimes punished pupils who behaved badly by hitting them on the knuckles with a ruler or stick.
go the knuckle
fight with the fists. Australian informalnear the knuckle
verging on the indecent or offensive. British informalIn the late 19th century this expression was used more generally to mean ‘close to the permitted limit of behaviour’.
rap someone on (or over) the knuckles
rebuke or criticize someone.near the ˈknuckle
(British English, informal) (about a remark, joke, etc.) likely to offend people or make them feel embarrassed: His act is too near the knuckle for me.ˌrap somebody over the ˈknuckles
,give somebody, get, etc. a ˌrap over the ˈknuckles
(informal) criticize somebody/be criticized for doing something wrong: He got a rap over the knuckles for spending too much money on his business lunches.knuckle down
v.
To apply oneself earnestly to a task: We've been relaxing too long—it's time for us to knuckle down and finish this work.
knuckle under
v.
To yield to some opposing force: The union knuckled under to pressure from the company. I've made up my mind on this matter, and I will not knuckle under.
See also: knuckle
knuckle bones
n. dice. (An elaboration of bones.) Roll them knuckle bones and tell me that your expense needs earth pads.
knuckle down (to something)
in. to get busy doing something. Please knuckle down to your studies.
knuckle down
verbknuckle sandwich
n. a blow struck in the teeth or mouth. How would you like a knuckle sandwich?
knuckle under (to someone/something)
in. to give in to or accept someone or something. She always refused to knuckle under to anyone.
knuckle under
verbSee also: knuckle
knuckle-dragger
n. a strong and stupid man. (Like an ape.) Call off your knuckle-draggers. I’ll pay you whatever you want.
white-knuckle
1. mod. having to do with an event that creates a lot of tension, especially an airplane flight. We came in during the storm on a white-knuckle flight from Chicago.
2. mod. of a person who is made tense by something such as flying or sailing. I’m afraid I’m a white-knuckle sailor, and you’d all be much happier if I stay on dry land.
knuckle under, to
To give in under pressure; to admit defeat. The origin of this expression is disputed. One writer claims it comes from the custom of striking the underside of a table with the knuckles when one was defeated in an argument. However, the noun knuckle once meant the end of any bone at the joint where it forms a protuberance, as at the knee, elbow, and finger joints. The verb to knuckle originally meant “to bend down” or “stoop” (probably from the joint’s bending), and by extension “to comply with” or “submit to”—it was so used from the 1700s on. The first appearance in print of knuckle under with this same meaning was in 1882. To knuckle down, on the other hand, while it originally may have been synonymous with knuckle under, today means to apply oneself resolutely to something. This meaning was first recorded in 1864.
See also: knuckle
knuckle down
Apply yourself to the job at hand. The phrase comes from the game of marbles, one of the once-popular children's street games. Players shot their “shooter” marble by clenching the marble in a fist with knuckles touching the ground, then launching it with a flick of the thumb. When it was a player's turn and his attention was elsewhere, he was reminded, “Okay, knuckle down.” A similar phrase, “buckle down” most likely came from the idea of tightening your belt before performing an arduous task.
knuckle sandwich
A punch in the mouth. Associated with urban street toughs, the phrase was common in “Dead End” and “Bowery Boys” movies where the threat of being served a meal of someone's fist was all part of the characters' bravado.