slap on the wrist

1. A mild reproof, as in We were fined heavily, and all she got from the judge was a slap on the wrist. [Early 1900s]

Example Sentences

Ms Mitchell described the decision as no more than a "slap on the wrist".

From BBC

“I can guarantee you if it was anybody else there wouldn’t be this little slap on the wrist. It’s a microcosm of what’s going on in Palestine ... punishments are few and far between,” Ramsey said.

From Los Angeles Times

"He admitted to what he'd done, and it was like a slap on the wrist," she said.

From BBC

“In the end, these criminals are getting a few years of prison time for ruining the lives of so many people and forever damaging so many people. It’s a slap on the wrist.”

From Los Angeles Times

It was a completely different time to be a reality TV star, one where a Real Housewife’s bad behavior would earn a slap on the wrist from Bravo producers, and not persistent death threats.

From Salon