knocksevenbells这个用法在英国比较流行,偶尔会在报纸上看到.这跟航海传统有关系,是anauticalexpression.Awarriorassociationisappropriateforthisidiom,sincetheoriginisfightingshipsandtheringingofbellstomarkthepassageoftimeonboard.
Sevenbells代表只剩半个小时了,差不多要把对方"结束"了,所以才有"狠狠修理对方"的意思.
Thisistheusualexplanationofitsorigin:
Atotalofeightbellsarestrucktoendawatch;toknocksevenbellsoutofsomeoneimpliesprettyseverehandling—withoutactuallyfinishinghimoff.
(Jackspeak,AGuidetoBritishNavalSlang&Usage,byRickJolly,revisedsecondedition2007.)
TheOED:"InNaut.slangphrs.toknocksevenbellsoutof(someone):tobeat(someone)severely;similarly,toscaresevenbellsoutof:toterrify."