Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(mainly US) physically or intellectually overwhelming.

1843		R.S. Surtees Handley Cross (1854) 506: ‘Jun’ had been rayther too many for him in the matter of the ’oss.
1847		[A. Harris] (con. 1820s) Settlers & Convicts 360: All was safe: I had been too many for a professed hand.
1872		‘Mark Twain’ Innocents at Home 386: Old Robbins was too many for him.
1877		H. Hartigan Stray Leaves (1st ser.) 177: But the carpenter and the locksmith were too many for Larry, and he finally went to sleep.
1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 9 Sept. 2/3: Ha! ha! At the last fox hunt at Newport the fox was too many for the red-coated snobs.
1897		Melbourne Punch 25 Feb. 4/4: I think she’ll be too many for his gills.
1901		‘The Wayback Family’ in Sun. Times (Sydney) 13 jan. 5/2: ‘Yer was too many for him, Wayback,’ said Bill.
1901		S. Crane in Metropolitan mag. Feb. in Stallman (1966) 214: This is too many for me, boys. I’ve got no further use for this place.
1913		E. O’Neill A Wife for Life in Ten ‘Lost’ Plays (1995) 5: Well, it’s too many for me. I give it up.
1917		Van Loan ‘Levelling with Elisha’ Old Man Curry 34: I give it up [...] You’re too many for me.