rap someone's knuckles
to give someone a punishment.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The boss will rap your knuckles if you are late again.”
“The manager had to rap the intern's knuckles for leaving the office door unlocked overnight.”
“Although the committee members were generally supportive, they felt compelled to rap the director's knuckles for his lack of transparency regarding the budget.”
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another nail in someone's coffin
An event that increases the likelihood of or causes further failure.
- 02
answer someone's prayers
To be or do exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
- 03
answer to someone's prayers
Exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
- 04
apple of someone's eye
The object of somebody's affections; a person (or sometimes a thing) that someone strongly prefers; a favorite, a loved one.
- 05
bane of someone's existence
Someone or something that poses a significant problem to someone.
- 06
bash someone's face in
To beat someone violently.
- 07
bash someone's head
To beat up someone violently.
- 08
be someone's to lose
To be anticipated to be won by someone.
Last updated August 10, 2026