Idiom
To wipe the floor with
Meaning
To defeat someone easily.
Origin
In A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon and Cant by Barrère and Leland (1897), the idiom is described where, “one man has thrashed another so completely as to have taken him like a broom or mop, and swept or cleaned the floor with him.” This suggests that the winner of a physical fight, having emerged victorious, would literally pick his opponent up by the heels and clean the floor with him. While such a factual definition seems unlikely, it is possible that the phrase referred to the loser of a fight being knocked off his feet and laid out on the floor.
In A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon and Cant by Barrère and Leland (1897), the idiom is described where, “one man has thrashed another so completely as to have taken him like a broom or mop, and swept or cleaned the floor with him.” This suggests that the winner of a physical fight, having emerged victorious, would literally pick his opponent up by the heels and clean the floor with him. While such a factual definition seems unlikely, it is possible that the phrase referred to the loser of a fight being knocked off his feet and laid out on the floor.Examples
In an unexpected turn of events, Newcastle United wiped the floor with Manchester City last week.
Derek is a fantastic performer. He could wipe the floor in any dance-off.
The winner of this year’s ‘Britian’s Got Talent’ wiped the floor with her competitors. She was outstanding!
