clean someone's clock
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Originally military slang; perhaps from clock face.
Pronunciation[edit]
Audio (AU) (file)
Verb[edit]
clean someone's clock (third-person singular simple present cleans someone's clock, present participle cleaning someone's clock, simple past and past participle cleaned someone's clock)
- (idiomatic, informal) To defeat someone decisively, in a physical fight or other competition or negotiation.
- Synonym: fix someone's clock
- 1997 November 12, Richard W. Stevenson, “Executives Say Trade Bill Defeat Will Hurt Economy”, in New York Times, retrieved 7 Oct. 2008:
- "When big business goes head to head with unions, the unions clean their clock," said one Republican aide in Congress.
- 2007 April 28, Carla Marinucci, “Hillary on a roll”, in San Francisco Chronicle, retrieved 7 Oct. 2008:
- Barack Obama cleaned her clock in the debates.
- 2008 September 27, Jake Donovan, “Vicente Escobedo Rallies, Stops Dominic Salcido In Six”, in BoxingScene.com, retrieved 7 Oct. 2008:
- The heavily-tattooed Perez never recovered, getting nailed with flush head shots before a clean-up left hook cleaned his clock.
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
defeat decisively
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