Green’s Dictionary of Slang

US to admit failure, ignorance.

1848

Boston Blade 10 June n.p.: That word ‘norx’ [...] fanned the crowd. Ike, even , was non-plussed and acknowledged the beans.

(orig. US) to be punished, to suffer.

1893		Pick-me-up 5 Aug. 302: [headline] He would get beans at Bedford .
1895		Truth (Sydney) 28 Apr. 3/3: Reid was glad the Judge had got beans for the way he used to scarify him when he (Reid) was a very small pertater barrister.
1915		F. Garrett diary 22 May 🌐 The Turks on Quinns post got particular beans last night and ran out of the trenches in a panic calling upon Allah.
1930		Portsmouth Eve. News 20 May 3/4: ‘HG’ was a ‘hot one’ as a boy, and if anyone opposed him they used to get ‘beans’.
1937–84		Partridge DSUE (1984) 60/1: —1890.
1982		H. Beaton Outside In I i: Next time He’s gonna get His fucken beans.
1982		G. Newbold Big Huey 244: beans (n) e.g., get one’s —. Be beaten up. British army slang, quoted by Kipling in 1890.
1992		A. Duff One Night Out Stealing 18: Twice he’d done time for it. Sonny, I think Mr Reid might be gonna get his beans here. Is that so?

1. (orig. US) to scold; to deal severely with, to punish heavily.

1842		Uncle Sam Peculiarities I 98: I [...] was at the battle of New Orleans, where we gave the British beans [DA].
1843		T. Haliburton Sam Slick in England I 107: How I long to walk into some o’ these chaps, and give ’em beans!
1889		Dead Bird (Sydney) 7 Sept. 5/4: While my blue-blooded young man was giving him beans, I’d just hover around.
1890		Bulletin (Sydney) 19 July 5/4: Perhaps an actor is all the rage, / He struts his hour on the mimic stage, / With skill he interprets all the scenes – / And yet next morning I give him beans.
1891		Tabrar & Costello [perf. Marie Lloyd] Madam Duvan 🎵 They work all day, and don’t she give him beans.
1899		R. Whiteing No. 5 John Street 288: Go it, Tom Thumb! give ’im beans.
1903		Bulletin (Sydney) 8 Oct. 35/4: We had a chat about things for a bit, and then we went down to the manager’s office and gave him particular beans. He tried to tell us the pumping machine had gone cronk, and he couldn’t help the water. But we knew better.
1911		L. Stone Jonah 25: But ’e woke up about twelve, an’ give me beans ’cause I’d let him sleep till the pubs was shut.
1918		A.N. Depew Gunner Depew 129: They did not brag when they gave the Turks beans [NB only in UK edn].
1946		Wodehouse Joy in Morning 145: He wanted to give me beans, but Florence wouldn’t let him.

2. to give physical pain.

c.1900

Tom Costello [perf.] ‘Does it hurt you very much?’ 🎵 Do you feel any pain anywhere? / If it gives you ‘beans’, like pulling out a tooth / Have you got any chloroform to spare?

3. to bore.

1898

W. Pett Ridge Mord Em’ly 181: It’s the blanky meenotomy of it that gives you beans [...] otherwise, it ain’t a bad life.

4. of a man, to have sexual intercourse.

1896		Farmer Vocabula Amatoria (1966) 22: Avoine (donner l’). To copulate; ‘to give one beans’.
1931–4		D. Clemmer Prison Community (1940) 330/1: beans, n A copulation, vi. To copulate.
1997		N. Barlay Curvy Lovebox 118: I told him I’s givin’ her beans before him.

see under sure as... phr.