a kick in the butt

a kick in the butt

A forceful gesture or message of some kind (usually delivered with good intentions) that acts as motivation to the (previously unmotivated) recipient. These days, teenagers seem to need a swift kick in the butt to convince them to do well in school. That speeding ticket was the kick in the butt that Dan needed to get his driving under control.See also: butt, kick

kick in the butt

verbSee kick in the seat of the pantsSee also: butt, kick