rap someone's knuckles
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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]
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Words nearby rap someone's knuckles
rapporteur, rapprochement, rapscallion, rap session, rap sheet, rap someone's knuckles, rapt, raptly, raptor, raptorial, rapture
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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