Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a thrashing; thus fig. a severe sporting defeat.

1817		W. Scott Search after Happiness in Sale-Room V 1 Feb. xiii: Some tumours on his noddle biding, Gave indication of a recent hiding.
1846		Thackeray Diary of C. Jeames de la Pluche in Works III (1898) 388: The wulgar beest hoffered to fite me, and thretnd to give me a good iding if I refused.
1854		‘Cuthbert Bede’ Adventures of Mr Verdant Green (1982) II 157: May the Gown give the Town a jolly good hiding.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor (1968) I 431: Now, if you’ll run after that lad, and give him a d---d good hiding, you shall have the beer.
1871		C. Money Knocking About in N.Z. 123: He was let off eventually with a fearful ‘hiding’.
1886		S. Watson Wops the Waif 2/2: For two pins I’d give yer a jolly good hiding.
1896		M. Williams Round London 44: Give him a good hiding.
1903		A. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise 208: Fortune kindly placed me on the scene when the ex-militiaman got his [...] only hiding.
1911		J. Masefield Everlasting Mercy 8: They’d think (I thought it, God forgive me) / I funked the hiding Bill could give me.
1926		Boys’ Realm 16 Jan. 267: He would rather have seen Rodway give Jack a thundering good hiding.
1936		D. Stivens Tramp and Other Stories 137: I gave that fellow a hidin’, small as I was compared with him.
1949		P. Pringle Boy’s Book of Cricket 69: If you were not such an undersized little rat I’d give you the biggest hiding you have ever had.
1959		K. Waterhouse Billy Liar (1962) 79: He wants to give him a good hiding.
1966		J. Orton Erpingham Camp (1967) Scene xi: I’m going to give you a good hiding, Erpingham. I’m going to smash your face in.
1969		A. Fugard Boesman and Lena Act I: Look at Lena! Ou Hotnot meid. Boesman’s her man. Gave her a hiding for dropping the empties.
1981		S. Berkoff Decadence in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 13: Mum gave you a hiding.
1996		R. Doyle Woman Who Walked Into Doors 88: Charlo once gave him a hiding. He had it coming to him.
2000		(con. 1994) M. Amis Experience 82: I hope you took him outside and gave him a fucking good hiding.