bejeebers

knock the bejeebers out of (someone or something)

1. To cause significant physical injury or damage to someone or something. ("Bejeebers," a variant of "bejesus," is a mild euphemistic oath used here as an intensifying noun.) Tom caught some guy trying to break into his house and promptly knocked the bejeebers out of him. The guy I bought this wardrobe from online said that it was good as new, but it looked like someone knocked the bejeebers out of it when it arrived.
2. To cause someone or some group a great deal of turmoil, hardship, or difficulty. This economic recession really knocked the bejeebers out of our company, but we're finally starting to recover. I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you until now. Work has been knocking the bejeebers out of me lately.
3. rude slang To defeat someone or some team decisively in a competition. The final score was 17-1? Wow, we really knocked the bejeebers out of that team! I was doing pretty well for most of the tournament, but my opponent knocked the bejeebers out of me in the semifinals.
See also: bejeebers, knock, of, out

scare the bejeebers out of (one)

To shock or frighten one very suddenly or severely. ("Bejeebers," a variant of "bejesus," is a mild euphemistic oath used here as an intensifying noun.) Don't sneak up on me like that—you scared the bejeebers out of me! The sound of the fire alarm scared the bejeebers out of us this morning.
See also: bejeebers, of, out, scare
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

knock the bejeebers out of someone or something

Inf. to beat someone or something severely. If I catch you doing that again, I'll knock the bejeebers out of you. He grabbed the poor dog and just knocked the bejeebers out of it.
See also: bejeebers, knock, of, out
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • knock the bejeebers out of
  • knock the bejeebers out of (someone or something)
  • knock the bejesus out of (someone or something)
  • give (someone) the can
  • can
  • can (someone)
  • canned
  • put the boot to (one)
  • the air
  • get it over with
References in periodicals archive
But do fear its molten state because liquefied lead can burn the bejeebers out of you.
CASTING CALL! BASIC BULLET BUILDING THERAPY
Many childhood memories of Christmas past are redolent with times when makeshift bamboo canyons were used to scare the bejeebers out of adults, watusi, kwitis, super lolo, five-star and judas belt were the holiday must-haves of every young boy or girl.
Editorial: Firecrackers and pyrotechnics
And that has everything to do with the movie of the same name, which scared the bejeebers out of me when I was a teenager.
Can a good omen be ominous?
BUT "ADVANCEMENTS" OF LATE SCARE the bejeebers out of me.
My cyber trash trove
Vince picks up his horn and plays the bejeebers out of this thing and I was thinking to myself, holy cow, I have never heard anyone play horn like this before, let alone do it while being so sick.
Brian O'Connor: LA Studio Player
RAY: Once those exhaust gases, which are several hundred degrees Fahrenheit, mix with the coolant, they heat the absolute bejeebers out of it.
Overheating all in the head (gasket)
The idea that we were coming forward with economic solutions that were business-friendly, pro-innovation, pro-investment, pro-American independence, that could actually deliver more jobs than the coal companies--that scared the bejeebers out of the Koch Brothers.
Conversation: Van Jones
I hate them because they're always messing up my early-season deer hunts and scaring the bejeebers out of me.
Bears
Here's a defense budget nugget that should scare the bejeebers out of Pentagon contractors: If there is a 2 percent annual decrease to the defense budget's top line for the next decade, without other changes, the acquisition budget will fall to zero.
Fears of the incredibly shrinking defense budget may be overblown
The high-revving Honda pushed us to a top speed of 26.7 mph at 6200 rpm, which is plenty fast enough to scare the bejeebers out of kids being towed on inflatable toys.
The sweet life: Sweetwater 220 Double Lounger
But it will if we scare the bejeebers out of them by using inflated language at every new step in synthetic life.
Glenn McGee: in synthetic life, the can is as important as the Coke
I mean, we'd rather be walking around uttering unintelligible phrases like in pari delicto and malice aforethought, ruining people's lives, or simply frightening the bejeebers out of folks.
An ethics class? Taught by a lawyer? Please, just kill me now ..
Elton's patch before they do tonight and scare the bejeebers out of them."
Goat tight and bull high: even the best fence can't stop a watermelon thief
"It scares the bejeebers out of you as a parent to look at it and see a child who may be talking on the phone, text messaging or fiddling with the music, and the next thing you know they're faced with some situation they have to react quickly to."
Curbing distractions: auto insurers are helping teens become safer drivers
There is nothing we like more that scaring the bejeebers out of our readers.
David BANKS: Danger of losing our sense of proportion