clapperclawv.
/ˈklapəklɔː/ archaic or dialect.
1. transitive. To claw or scratch with the open hand and nails; to beat, thrash, drub. (Jamieson says ‘To fight at arm's length, to strike a blow as a spider at a fly’.)
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > impact > striking > beating or repeated striking > beat [verb (transitive)] > specifically a person
to-beatc893
threshOE
bustc1225
to lay on or upon?c1225
berrya1250
to-bunea1250
touchc1330
arrayc1380
byfrapc1380
boxc1390
swinga1400
forbeatc1420
peal?a1425
routa1425
noddlea1450
forslinger1481
wipe1523
trima1529
baste1533
waulk1533
slip1535
peppera1550
bethwack1555
kembc1566
to beat (a person) black and blue1568
beswinge1568
paik1568
trounce1568
canvass1573
swaddle?1577
bebaste1582
besoop1589
bumfeage1589
dry-beat1589
feague1589
lamback1589
clapperclaw1590
thrash1593
belam1595
lam1595
beswaddle1598
bumfeagle1598
belabour1600
tew1600
flesh-baste1611
dust1612
feeze1612
mill1612
verberate1614
bethumpa1616
rebuke1619
bemaul1620
tabor1624
maula1627
batterfang1630
dry-baste1630
lambaste1637
thunder-thump1637
cullis1639
dry-banga1640
nuddle1640
sauce1651
feak1652
cotton1654
fustigate1656
brush1665
squab1668
raddle1677
to tan (a person's) hide1679
slam1691
bebump1694
to give (a person) his load1694
fag1699
towel1705
to kick a person's butt1741
fum1790
devel1807
bray1808
to beat (also scare, etc.) someone's daylights out1813
mug1818
to knock (a person) into the middle of next week1821
welt1823
hidea1825
slate1825
targe1825
wallop1825
pounce1827
to lay into1838
flake1841
muzzle1843
paste1846
looder1850
frail1851
snake1859
fettle1863
to do over1866
jacket1875
to knock seven kinds of —— out of (a person)1877
to take apart1880
splatter1881
to beat (knock, etc.) the tar out of1884
to —— the shit out of (a person or thing)1886
to do up1887
to —— (the) hell out of1887
to beat — bells out of a person1890
soak1892
to punch out1893
stoush1893
to work over1903
to beat up1907
to punch up1907
cream1929
shellac1930
to —— the bejesus out of (a person or thing)1931
duff1943
clobber1944
to fill in1948
to bash up1954
to —— seven shades of —— out of (a person or thing)1976
to —— seven shades out of (a person or thing)1983
beast1990
becurry-
fan-
1590 ‘Pasquil’ First Pt. Pasquils Apol. sig. D2v You should see me so clapper-claw him.
1602 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor ii. iii. 59 He will claperclaw [1623 Clapper-claw] thee titely bully.
1609 Epist. in W. Shakespeare Troilus & Cressida (2nd issue) sig. ¶2 A new play, neuer stal'd with the Stage, neuer clapper-clawd with the palmes of the vulger.
1699 B. E. New Dict. Canting Crew Clapperclaw'd, beat soundly, or paid off in earnest.
1805 Ann. Rev. 3 622 Representing the Cacodæmons flogging and clapper~clawing them.
1855 F. K. Robinson Gloss. Yorks. Words 31 Clapper~claw'd, pawed with the open hand, clawed and belaboured.
2. figurative. To revile, abuse.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disapproval > invective or abuse > abuse [verb (transitive)]
vilea1300
rebutc1330
revilea1393
arunt1399
stainc1450
brawl1474
vituper1484
rebalk1501
to call (rarely to speak) (all) to naught1542
rattle1542
vituperate1542
bedaub1570
beray1576
bespurt1579
wring1581
misuse1583
caperclaw1589
abuse1592
rail1592
exagitate1593
to shoot atc1595
belabour1596
to scour one's mouth on1598
bespurtle1604
conviciate1604
scandala1616
delitigate1623
betongue1639
bespatter1644
rant1647
palt1648
opprobriatea1657
pelt1658
proscind1659
inveigh1670
clapperclaw1692
blackguard1767
philippize1804
drub1811
foul-mouth1822
bullyrag1823
target1837
barge1841
to light on ——1842
slang1844
villainize1857
slangwhang1880
slam-bang1888
vituperize1894
bad-mouth1941
slag1958
zing1962
to dump on (occasionally all over)1967
1692 J. Dennis Poems in Burlesque Ded. 3 Till ev'ry Ship with its great Name, By being Clapperclaw'd became An Irony and Jest of Fame.
1846 C. F. Cornwallis Lett. (1864) 292 While we expected to be clapper-clawed, there was courage in braving it and speaking the truth.
Derivatives
clapperclawer n. one who clapperclaws, a reviler.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disapproval > invective or abuse > [noun] > one who uses invective or abuse
scoldc1175
scolder1423
railer1513
reviler1517
stinger1552
disgracer1570
invectiver1596
inveighera1601
outrayer1602
blatant1610
vent-giver1611
invector1654
insectator1706
slangwhanger1807
vituperator1837
invectivist1862
clapperclawer1873
vituperant1889
1873 F. Hall Mod. Eng. Pref. xiv A wholesale sponsor..of superficial conceits, whose clientry of clapper-clawers, misrepresenting the character of my strictures, etc.
clapperclawing n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > impact > striking > beating or repeated striking > [noun] > specific object a person
threshingOE
sousingc1580
rib-roast1595
basting1599
swingeing1603
cuffing1610
lamming1611
rib-roasting1613
mauling1621
pinking1637
drubbing1650
diverberation1651
verberation1661
trimming1675
rib1699
thrashing1720
dousing1721
fagging1746
bumping1751
dusting1799
clapperclawing1806
milling1806
hiding1809
punishment1811
doing1814
bethumping1831
mugging1846
jacketing1850
frailing1851
pasting1851
towelling1851
tanning1863
fum-fum1885
ribbing1894
paddywhack1898
tanking1905
beating-up1915
shellacking1931
sloshing1931
clobbering1948
twatting1963
duffing-up1967
the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Felidae (feline) > felis domesticus (cat) > [noun] > striking with the claws
clapperclawing1806
1806 R. Southey in C. C. Southey Life & Corr. R. Southey (1850) III. 8 By the Living Jingo..I would give him a most righteous clapper-clawing.
1809 W. Irving Hist. N.Y. II. vi. vii. 148 Two furious ram cats, on the very point of a clapper clawing.
1887 W. Besant World went very well Then III. xxxvii. 257 The clapperclawings, rubs, and buffets, etc.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1889; most recently modified version published online March 2020).
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