throw something in someone's face

English

Etymology

The figurative act of throwing a gift (senses 1 and 2), prize (sense 3) or merely an object (sense 4) in someone's face.

Verb

throw something in someone's face (third-person singular simple present throws something in someone's face, present participle throwing something in someone's face, simple past threw something in someone's face, past participle thrown something in someone's face)

1. To reject some act in a spiteful manner.

   I tried to make up after the argument, but he just threw it in my face and stormed off.

2. To repay an act of kindness with disappointment or betrayal.

   I supported you for months, and you've just thrown all that in my face by losing your job.

3. To lord over someone by exerting dominance, following a successful confrontation; sometimes in a subtle or snide manner.

   Synonym: rub something in someone's face

   Bringing the kids along was clearly just an excuse to throw it in my face after the divorce.

   • 1990 August 11, Michael Bronski, George Mansour, “The Happy Booker”, in Gay Community News, volume 18, number 5, page 8:

     M: In the long run is your annoyance at critics for dismissing these movies because they are gay outweighed by your glee in proving them wrong later on?
     G: I don't know. It is sort of nice to be able to throw it in their face. But whatever personal pleasure I get in doing that doesn't make up for the fact that some very interesting and important movies never get an audience and are never taken seriously.

4. To raise a past transgression in order to admonish someone.

   She always throws that time I cheated in my face when we argue. It was ten years ago!

5. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see throw,‎ something,‎ in,‎ someone,‎ face.

Usage notes

The term is commonly used with the word it, as in throw it in my face. This is often a regular pronoun with a clear referent, as in "I paid her a compliment, but she threw it in my face", where it refers to the compliment. However, with senses 3 and 4, it can also act as a dummy pronoun, as in "She throws it in my face every time we argue", where it does not necessarily refer to any specific thing. The example could instead be parsed as "She brings up my past transgressions every time we argue".