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.

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.

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
See also:
  • beat the pants off (of) (someone)
  • beat the pants off someone
  • beat the socks off (of) (someone)
  • beat (one's) pants off
  • lick the pants off (someone)
  • cut off at the pass, to
  • get someone's dander up, to
  • make mincemeat of someone
  • make mincemeat out of someone/something
  • mincemeat
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.
Friday and Saturday and the part of Sunday they hadn't started thinking yet about Monday beat the pants off the rest of the week, and especially Monday.
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.
This was the year e-commerce beat the pants off brick-and-mortar retailing.
JOHN DALY reckons a pair of strident strides would help old pal Colin Montgomerie beat the pants off golf's young guns.
“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.”
"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.
Arizona beat the pants off LaMichael James in the first half Friday night.
It beat the pants off the normal shopping run and for the children it was a real treat to see some of their favourite TV characters come to life on stage.
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."
[I]n theory, [Muppet Wild] should beat the pants off of any traditional muppet encyclopedia in terms of content because it is created by the masses (should we call them muppetheads?).
'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.
And as far as taste, he says, "it beat the pants off the competition."
Corrie continues to beat the pants off EastEnderszzzzzzz.
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.