kick in the pants, a

Idioms  

1. Also, a kick in the teeth . A humiliating setback or rebuff. For example, That rejection was a real kick in the pants , or That review was a kick in the teeth . A third, vulgar variant of these colloquial terms is a kick in the ass . Versions of this last expression— kick in the breech, kick in the behind —have been used since the early 1800s.

2. A cause of enjoyment, as in That show was a real kick in the pants . This meaning is virtually the opposite of def. 1 and can be differentiated from it only by the context. [1960s]

---

Example Sentences

Volker says many Europeans now admit they that "we needed to do this, even if it's unfortunate that it took such a kick in the pants".

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2025

“We’ve been telling clients they need to get their stuff in order, and some need a kick in the pants to get their act together,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2025

I don’t … I mean, the one-year timeframe certainly gives me a kick in the pants to make the decision.

From Slate • Jan. 14, 2023

“She’s obviously an icon for all the noteworthy reasons — but she’s a kick in the pants too,” said Representative Jackie Speier, the California congresswoman and her friend of two decades.

From New York Times • Jun. 25, 2021

"Now now, isn't that a kick in the pants?"

From "Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick