upside the head

Idioms

Against the side of someone's head, as in With those nightsticks the police are known for knocking suspects upside the head. [Slang; second half of 1900s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

You can see when it happens to and for Linda, Bridget Christie’s heroine in “The Change,” because it slaps her upside the head.

From Salon • Aug. 19, 2024

“This is the last slap upside the head we’re going to get when it might still matter,” said Bill McKibben, a longtime climate activist.

From New York Times • Jul. 10, 2023

“It’s cumulative — it’s got to hit you upside the head more than once before you conclude that there’s just no point in doing this.”

From Washington Post • Jul. 3, 2022

And there was the butt-kicking the Lakers endured in the third quarter when the Suns smacked them upside the head in building a 32-point lead before a late L.A. rally made the final score respectable.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2021

He lets out a laugh, and I automatically duck, thinking that mischievous glint in his eyes means he’s going to whack me upside the head.

From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023