rap someone on (or over) the knuckles
Reprimand or criticize someone: the government was rapped over the knuckles for its failure to reform the House of Lords...- Mayo County Council has been rapped on the knuckles by An Bord Pleanála for failing to provide adequate services to areas which have the potential to be properly developed.
- Standard Life has been rapped over the knuckles by the Financial Ombudsman for turning down claims by policyholders who got their weight wrong on application forms.
- One observer said: ‘If they did rap Fisher over the knuckles then no one got to know about it.’
See parent entry: rap