• ПОПАДАТЬ(СЯ)/ПОПАСТЬ(СЯ) НА ЗУБОК (НА ЗУБ less common) (к) кому coll
[VP; subj: human]
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⇒ to become the object of s.o.'s mockery, biting criticism, gossip:
- X попал к Y-y на зубок••≈ X became the butt of Y's ridicule (criticism, sarcasm etc);
- X became (was) the target of Y's tongue;
- Y got his teeth into X.
♦ [Хлестаков:] А уж Тряпичкину точно, если кто попадёт на зубок - берегись, отца родного не пощадит для словца... (Гоголь 4). [Kh.:] Now if Tryapichkin gets his teeth into anybody - watch out! He wouldn't spare his own father for a wisecrack (4f).