adj. (colloquial).—Complete; certain; decided. As adv. completely; utterly. E.g., to beat or lick HOLLOW. See BEAT and CREATION.

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  1759.  J. TOWNLEY, High Life below Stairs, i., 2. Crab was beat HOLLOW.

2

  1761.  COLMAN, The Jealous Wife, V., in Wks. (1777), i., 134. So, my lord, you and I are both distanced: a HOLLOW thing, damme.

3

  1811.  GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. HOLLOW. It was quite a HOLLOW thing, i.e., a certainty, or decided business.

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  1814.  EDGEWORTH, Patronage, ch. iii. Squire Burton won the match HOLLOW.

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  1837.  R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends. ‘Bloudie Jacke of Shrewsberrie.’

                His lines to Apollo
        Beat all the rest HOLLOW,
And gained him the Newdigate prize.

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  1852.  DICKENS, Bleak House, ch. lxiv., p. 529. I have therefore taken a ’ouse in that locality, which, in the opinion of my friends, is a HOLLOW bargain (taxes ridiculous, and use of fixtures included in the rent).

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  1871.  Durham County Advertiser, 10 Nov. ‘It licks me HOLLOW, sir, as I may say,’ put in the silent member.

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  1892.  Punch, 9 July, p. 3. Booby-traps were beaten HOLLOW.

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