Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Jerry Chen]

Hello,

Please read this sentence:

Winners are not supposed to show off their awards and rub them in the losers' faces.


What is "rub them in the losers' faces"?

Thanks for your explanation!

[nicewitch]

To show them to the loosers triomphally
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[Philo Kevetch]

Hello Nice Witch -

'loose' = not tight / 'lose' = not win

'triomphe' (Fr.) / 'triumph' (Eng.)


Hello Jerry Chen -

Are you familiar with the idiom - 'rub someone's nose in it'?

- to say or do something which makes someone remember that they have failed (or erred).

This seems to be the meaning intended in your example and doesn't
seem to be a very good show of 'sportsmanship'.

What do you think?

Philo