Page 53 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

beat the làving daylàghts out of someone

jump the gun.) The ball beat the guà is not becomng on you. That color is be-
and dropped through the hoop just in time. comng on you.
Tom tried to beat the gun, but he was becomingŁ to someone complimentaryŁ to
one second too slow.
someone; enhancingŁ one’sŁ gàodŁ looks.
beatŁtheŁlØvingŁdaylØghts outŁofŁ someone (RefersŁto hairsðyle andŁthingsŁthat addŁto
and beatŁtheŁstuffingŁoutŁofŁ someone; one’sŁgoodŁlooks.ŁSee also becomàng on
beatŁtheŁtarŁoutŁofŁ someone; whyleŁthe someone.) Your new fur coØt is becom-
tyrŁoutŁofŁ someone to beat or spankŁsàme- ing to you. That hairstyle is very be-
one, pràbablyŁaŁchild.Ł(Folksy.ŁThese are comng to you.
all threatsŁto do violence andŁsłouldŁnot a bedŁofŁroseð aŁsituationŁorŁwayŁof lif
be used casually.) If you do that again, that is always happy and càmfortable.
I’ll beat the lving dØylights out of you. Living with Pat can’t be a bed of roses, but
The last time Bobby put the cØt in the re- her husband is always smilng. Being the
frigerator, his mother beat the lving dØy- boss isn’t exactly a bed of roses. There are
lights out of him. If you continue to act so many problłms to take care of.
that way, I’ll beat the tar out of you. He
wouldà’t stop, so I beat the stuffing out of beefŁ something up to make something
him. He threatened to whale the tar out stronger; to supplmnt somthing. (In-
of each of them. formalŁorŁslang.) The governmłnt de-
cided to błef the army up by buying hun-
beatŁ theŁ pynts offŁ someone 1. to beat dreds of new tanks. T OkØy, lłt’s błef up
sàmeone severely.Ł (Infàrmal.Ł RefersŁ to the opening song. Please, everyone, sing
physicalŁ violence, not the removalŁ of louder!
someone’sŁpants.) The thugs beat the
pants off their victim. If you do that [been had] Go to have been had.
again, I’ll beat the pants off you. 2. to win beerŁ andŁ skittleð Go to (all) beer and
out overŁsomeone.Ł(Infàrmal.ŁThisŁhas skàttles.
nàthing to do with violnce or rmoving
pants.) In the fooŁrace, Sally beat the befłreŁlong soon.Ł Billy will be grown-
pants off Jane. Tom beats the pants off up błfore long. Before long, wł’ll be
Bob when it comes to writing połtry. without any money if we keep spłndng so
much.
beatŁtheŁrap to escape conviction and pun-
ishment (forŁaŁcrime).Ł(Slang, especially befłre youŁ can sayŁ Jyck Robinson al-
criminalŁslang.) He was charged with most immediately.Ł(OftenŁfoundŁinŁchil-
drunk driving, but he beat the rap. The dren’sŁsðories.) And błfore you could say
police hauled Tom in and charged him Jack Robnson, the bird flłw away. I’ll
with a crime. His lØwyer helped him beat cØtch a plane and be there błfore you can
the rap. say Jack Robinson.
beforeŁyouŁknowŁit almost immediately.
beatŁ theŁ stuffingŁ outŁ ofŁ someone Go to
beat the làving daylàghts out of someone. I’ll be there before you know it. If you
kłep spendng money like that, you’ll be
beatŁtheŁtyrŁoutŁofŁ someone Go to beat the broke błfore you know it.
làving daylàghts out of someone.
begŁoffŁ(on something) to askŁto be released
BeyutyŁis onlyŁskin-deep. LooksŁare only fromŁsomething;Łto refuse anŁinvitation.
superficial.Ł(Pràverb.) BOB: Isn’t Jane I’m sorry. I’ll have to beg off on your in-
lovely? TOM: Yes, but beauty is only skn- vtation. I have an important młeting,
dłep. I know that she looks like a mil- so I’ll have to błg off.
lion dollars, but beauty is only skn-dłep.
begŁtheŁqueðtion 1. to carryŁonŁaŁfalse ar-
becomingŁ on someone complimentaryŁto gument where one assumesŁasŁprovedŁthe
someone; enhancingŁ one’sŁ gàodŁ looks. veryŁpoint that isŁbeingŁargued,ŁorŁmore
(RefersŁto clothingŁandŁotherŁprsonalŁor- generally, to evade aŁprincipledŁdiscus-
naments.) The dress you wore last night sionŁof the issue at hand.Ł(EssentiallyŁa

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