the living daylights

the living daylights

1. The senses. Used as an expression of intensity, especially in the phrases "beat/kick the living daylights out of someone" or "scare/frighten the living daylights out of someone." Jim had one too many drinks, picked a fight with a group of thugs, and had the living daylights beaten out of him! Don't sneak up on me like that—you scared the living daylights out of me!
2. obsolete The eyes. This was the original usage in the 18th century, but it eventually fell out of use and gave way to the more figurative definition above. Should that rapscallion show his mischievous face on my estate again, I shall blacken his living daylights without remorse or restraint!
See also: daylight, living
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • daylight
  • in living memory
  • in/within living memory
  • matter of opinion
  • matter of opinion, a
  • far cry
  • far cry from
  • far cry from, a
  • a far cry from (something)
  • a far cry from something
References in periodicals archive
But when we played together he scared the living daylights out of me.
Richard 'bullied' me as a player .. now his side do
After being assigned to protect a defecting KGB agent, Koskov, in The Living Daylights (1987), James Bond learns that the KGB's leader is on a mission to assassinate all American and British agents.
A butcher Bond; GRAHAM YOUNG'S alternative pick of the films showing near you
When Lachlan returns from holiday and scares Alicia in the shop, leaving her trembling with fear, David sees red and bundles the creepy teen into his car, before carting him off to a barn and attempting to frighten the living daylights out of him.
Scare tactics
He refused Bond again in the early 1980s, but eventually took the role in 1987's The Living Daylights.
Up close with Timothy Dalton
Other Astons featured over the years include a DBS in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, a V8 Vantage Volante in The Living Daylights and a V12 Vanquish in Die Another Day.
Other Bond cars
Why does the act of creating employment by making homes more energy efficient, thereby saving money and alleviating fuel poverty, terrify the living daylights out of climate change deniers?
Deniers just waste energy; Views of the North
Glenn scared the living daylights out of a whole generation of men in the Eighties when she starred alongside Michael Douglas in the controversial movie Fatal Attraction (and a whole generation of kids with her trun as Cruella de Vil) but there is nothing fatal about her attraction to Mr Armani.
Dressed to Impress
As well as the DB5, there was DBS models from 'Quantum of Solace' and 'Casino Royale' and the Vantage V8 from 'The Living Daylights'.
PHOTOS/VIDEO: James Bond and Aston Martin, a long love affair
Nine Bond films--"GoldenEye," "Octopussy," "The Spy Who Loved Me," "You Only Live Twice," "The Living Daylights," "Tomorrow Never Dies," "Diamonds Are Forever," "A View to a Kill" and "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"--were previously unavailable on Blu-ray.
Boxed set brings restored Bond series to Blu-ray
Farmer Mark Edwards and his alter-ego, Giuseppe Savage, have converted two barns into venues, Terror on the Farm and Insanity, destined to scare the living daylights out of visitors.
Aspectre calls as Farmageddon launches latest fright nights
In new movie Transporter 3 he got to thrash the living daylights out of a couple of Audis and ended up loving every minute.
Actor Jason loves fast forms of Transport; 0-60 SECOND INTER VIEW
Such a policy will scare the living daylights out future Waksals, Ken Lays, and Jeff Skillings.
St. Martha
The greatest source of that love and support around her comes from her partner, Dale Fanning, who also happens to be her primary producer (besides Hsu-Li herself) and drummer, performing with her when he's not playing with his jazz trio, the Living Daylights. "Many magazines continue to call me a lesbian, though I am absolutely 100% open about being bisexual," Hsu-Li says.
Merry Magdalen: musician Magdalen Hsu-Li pours her own personal growth into the revelatory songs on her new CD, Fire. (music)
We see lots of folks on TV jumping into bed with each other at the drop of a hat, and lots of others beating the living daylights out of somebody--but we hardly ever see people just holding hands, or hugging for more than two seconds.
Just the right touch
The English racer founded AlcoSense when the incident "scared the living daylights" out of him.
Hunter owes breath test idea to pal