sock (redirected from socks)

beat the hell out of someone and beat the living daylights out of someone ; beat the pants off (of) someone; beat the shit out of someone; beat the socks off (of) someone; beat the stuffing out of someone; beat the tar out of someone

1. Fig. to defeat someone very badly. (Caution: the use of the word shit is considered vulgar and is offensive to many people. Of is usually retained before pronouns.) Our team beat the hell out of the other side. We beat the stuffing out of the other side.

2. Fig. Inf. to batter someone severely. (Alludes to physical violence, not the removal of someone's pants. Of is usually retained before pronouns.) The thugs beat the living daylights out of their victim. If you do that again, I'll beat the pants off of you. Before the boxing match Max said he would beat the socks off Lefty.

See also: beat, hell, out

knock someone's socks off and knock the socks off (of) someone

Sl. to surprise someone thoroughly. (Fixed order. Of is usually retained before pronouns.) The exciting news just knocked my socks off! The news knocked the socks off of everyone in the office.

See also: knock

sock someone or something in

[for fog] to cause someone or something to remain in place. The heavy fog socked us in for six hours. The fog socked in the airport for an hour.

sock something away

to place something, such as money, into reserve; to store something in a secure place. I try to sock a little money away each month for my vacation. I will sock away some money.

See also: away

sock it to someone 

1. to punch someone; to punch one's fist at someone. Max really socked it to Lefty! Lefty socked it to Roger and knocked him down.

2. to tell bad news to someone in a straightforward manner. I can take it. sock it to me! I don't care how bad it seems. sock it to me!

socked in

fogged in. The airport was completely socked in. We couldn't take off because we were socked in.

Stuff a sock in it! and Put a sock in it!

Inf. Shut up! I've heard enough. Stuff a sock in it! Stuff a sock in it! You are a pain.

See also: stuff

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[beat/bore/charm etc.] the socks off somebody

if someone beats, bores, charms etc. the socks off someone, they beat, bore, or charm them completely He was one of those teachers who bored the socks off his students with his classes.

See also: beat

Bless her/his cotton socks.  (British & Australian humorous)

something that you say when you want to express affection for someone My little niece - bless her cotton socks - won the school poetry prize this year.

See also: bless, cotton

blow/knock your socks off  (informal)

if something knocks your socks off, you find it extremely exciting or good I'm going to take you to a restaurant that'll knock your socks off.

See pull socks up, work socks off

See also: blow

land/sock somebody one  (informal)

to hit someone hard She just walked up and landed him one.

See also: land, one

pull your socks up

to make an effort to improve your work or behaviour because it is not good enough He's going to have to pull his socks up if he wants to stay in the team.

See also: pull, up

Put a sock in it!  (informal)

an impolite way of telling someone to be quiet Put a sock in it! Some of us are trying to work around here.

See land one

See also: put

work your socks off  (informal)

to work very hard The lawyers that I know earn a lot of money but they work their socks off.

See go like clockwork, wear fingers to the bone, drive into the ground, slog guts out, build up a head of steam, perform miracles

See also: work

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beat the hell out of somebody

1. to hit someone hard and repeatedly Bill beat the hell out of me after we started arguing over a girl.

2. to completely defeat someone It's a thrill to beat the hell out of another team in front of 20,000 screaming fans.

Related vocabulary: (it) beats me

See also: beat, hell, out

beat the hell out of something

to be much better than something It wasn't much of a plan, but it beat the hell out of sitting around the office waiting for something to happen.

See also: beat, hell, out

knock somebody's/something's socks off also beat somebody's/something's socks off

to completely defeat a competitor Japan and Korea knocked the socks off the United States in tests of science and math.

See also: knock

knock your socks off

to completely surprise or please you very much The magazine is beautiful and combines color and unusual design in a way that knocks your socks off.

Usage notes: also used with other verbs to say that something is done in an extreme way or to a great degree: I worked my socks off to get my degree.

See also: knock