beat seven bells out of (one)

beat seven bells out of (one)

To beat one very thoroughly or severely. When John refused to pay protection money to the mafia, two of their goons took him outside and beat seven bells out of him. I'm worried that the captain of the football team will beat seven bells out of me if he finds out that I'm secretly seeing his girlfriend. Our neighbor is in the hospital because a burglar beat seven bells out of him.

See also: beat, bell, of, out, seven

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