clean (one's) clock
To thoroughly trounce, defeat, or beat up one. Watch it, pal, or I'll clean your clock for you! The visitors really cleaned the home team's clock tonight! Two guys mugged me and then cleaned my clock last night.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
clean someone's clock
Beat, thrash, or defeat someone decisively, as in He's much bigger than you and could easily clean your clock. This term originated in the military. The use of clock is unclear but possibly alludes to hitting someone in the face (for "clockface"). [Slang; mid-1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
clean someone's clock
1 give someone a beating. 2 defeat or surpass someone decisively. North American informal Clock is used here in the slang sense of ‘face’.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017