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Glite Dictionary
to beat off with a stick

to beat off with a stick

8.8
Push away a lot of people or fans as a joke about being too popular
  • idiom
  • Informal
: ahuyentar a golpes
  • The bakery owner said she has to beat off with a stick all the eager customers in the morning.

Examples

  • Sometimes it feels like you need to beat off with a stick the constant stream of emails.

  • He had to beat off with a stick the crowd of fans.

  • Rumor has it he's so popular he needs to beat off with a stick all his admirers.

  • Don't beat off with a stick!

  • She feels like she has to beat off with a stick the attention from fans after her recent book release.

  • During the concert, the performer joked about needing to beat off with a stick the enthusiastic crowd trying to get closer.

  • After posting the funny video online, he jokingly said he might need to beat off with a stick all the messages and comments he received.

Synonyms

to fight off
vsto beat off with a stick
51 3.7

To keep away an attack, illness, or strong unwanted feeling

focuses instead on driving off groups or playful overwhelm
to beat back
vsto beat off with a stick
14 6.0

To force someone or something to move away

is used more for pushing away crowds or overwhelming attention
to beat off
vsto beat off with a stick
  • Informal
1 8.1

Make animals or people who attack you go away

repels large groups or attention and is often used jokingly

Antonyms

to invite
∞ 1.0

To ask someone politely to come or take part in an event

to attract
91 3.2

Make things move toward a magnet or the Sun

How Forceful

to repel
21 4.2
to beat off with a stick
  • Informal
8.8
to drive away
71 3.4
to push away
37 2.0
to shoo away
5 4.1

Surface Forms

beat off with a stick infinitive
beat off with a stick past
beat off with a stick past participle
beating off with a stick present participle
beats off with a stick third person singular

Morphology

beat + off + with + a + stick

The meaning is directly derivable from the parts: 'beat' (to strike) + 'off' (away) + 'with a stick' (using a stick as instrument) yields 'drive or repel away using a stick.' The construction follows ordinary verb + particle + instrument patterns and, aside from possible humorous nuance, is compositional and predictable for learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

Beat off with a stick may come from the picture of someone using a stick to beat off a crowd or animals to keep them away. So it now means 'to push away' or 'repel', often said jokingly when someone has too many people or things around them.