beat the pants off

beat the pants off (of) (someone)

slang To defeat someone decisively in a competition. Despite using the word "pants," this phrase does not involve literally stripping off someone's clothes. The final score was 17–1? Wow, we really beat the pants off that team!
See also: beat, off, pant
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

beat the pants off

Also, beat hollow. Win decisively over someone, outdo. For example, When it comes to the Patriots' Day parade, Lexington beats the pants off the neighboring towns , or This beer beats the other brands hollow. Both phrases use beat in the sense of "surpass." Pants off has served as an intensifier since about 1930; the variant dates from about 1775.
See also: beat, off, pant
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.

beat the pants off

prove to be vastly superior to. informal
1990 Paul Auster The Music of Chance ‘Not bad, kid,’ Nashe said. ‘You beat the pants off me.’
See also: beat, off, pant
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
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References in periodicals archive ?
If it's of the quality of the M1 and M1A1 carbines, this 21-inch pistol is going to beat the pants off of any cheap reproduction.
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According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Roddick disclosed that he pinned Djokovic up against a locker in the US Open dressing room after Djokovic 'beat the pants off him' in a match between the two at the final major championship of the ATP tennis season.
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“We learned a lot just putting the game together and it was evident that Generation Y beat the pants off Generation X when it comes to playing online games as well.”
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"This guy has the ability to separate himself from the field and just beat the pants off people, and that's a rare, rare talent that not many players have, and he has it.
tiger,your number's up; Daily Mirror TUESDAY 21.06.2011 55 SPORT w McILROY ON HIS MISSION TO RULE THE WORLD us open champ rory aims to be golf's next big thing
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With the Congress of Cities set for San Antonio in 2009, Menino said the City of Boston was ready to "beat the pants off San Antonio and set a new record."
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'I'm always trying to beat the pants off him and vice versa and it really works to give the show an edge,' said Marty, still going great guns at 65.
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And as far as taste, he says, "it beat the pants off the competition."
It's bottoms up--way up--in Hokkaido: a California transplant and beer connoisseur believes Japan is ready to soak up the microbrew trend
Corrie continues to beat the pants off EastEnderszzzzzzz.
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More dauntingly, the third man is the Ryder captain, Sam Torrance, who is still playing well enough to believe he can beat the pants off both of them.
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