shellacking - Wiktionary, the free dictionary shellacking (countable and uncountable, plural shellackings) The act or process of coating with shellac (informal, US) A heavy defeat, drubbing, or beating; used particularly in sports and political contexts
How Shellacking Came To Mean Defeat - NPR A shellacking - that is, a decisive defeat, according to Merriam-Webster's The term has an old-timey feel to it, like something used by a stern father decades ago
shellacking Meaning | Goong. com - New Generation Dictionary In a general sense, “shellacking” refers to a severe defeat or a decisive victory over someone or something It can be used in contexts such as sports, politics, or any competitive scenario where one party significantly outperforms another
etymology - Why did the word, “shellac” come to mean “to defeat . . . Ben Zimmer's 2010 article on Obama's shellacking points out that the first slang use, from the 1920s, was a euphemism for "extremely drunk," suggesting an analogy from another finish in the building trades: plastered