slap in the face
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A sharp rebuke or rebuff, as in Being criticized in front of my staff was a real slap in the face, or We thought it quite a slap in the face when they returned our letter unopened. The figurative use of this term, which can also refer to a literal blow, dates from the late 1800s.
QUIZ
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Question 1 of 9
Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?
Words nearby slap in the face
slapdash, slap dashing, slap down, slaphappy, slaphead, slap in the face, slapjack, slap on the back, slap on the wrist, SLAPP, slapped-cheek disease
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.