Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a beating; a defeat.

1515–16		Skelton Magnyfycence line 2234: Tushe! These maters that ye move are but soppys in ale; Your trymynge and tramynge by me must be tangyd.
1776		Foote Capuchin in Works (1799) II 387: [of gambling] Got to piquet with a count [...] gave me a trimming.
1831		Satirist (London) 10 July 107/2: [A]n anti-reform Member observed to a friend of the Bill that the ex-Secretary had given the reformers a trimming.
1899		Anaconda Standard (MT) 10 Apr. 8/7: You fellows come along and see me give him his trimmings. It’s some dodgasted brutal insult, and no man lives who can call me that.
1907		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 53: TAD Says If Gans Is Right Britt Will Get A Trimming.
1910		Sun. Times (Perth) 8 May 2nd sect. 9/1: They Say [...] That being full of cheaply-obtained fusel he endeavored to spar in on the nod. [...] That the light-weight doorkeeper subsequently gave him a trimming-up in the yard.
1917		R. Lardner ‘The Water Cure’ in Gullible’s Travels 168: The pair [...] not only told me that the White Sox got another trimmin’ but laughed when they said it.
1928		J. Callahan Man’s Grim Justice 173: I was giving him a fine trimming when a gang of natives came to his assistance.
1934		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Young Manhood in Studs Lonigan (1936) 198: Get the hell out of my sight before I give you the trimming you deserve.
1940		W.R. Burnett High Sierra in Four Novels (1984) 393: The bunch that run things is in for a trimming and they know it.
1958		(con. 1940s) B. Behan Borstal Boy 95: It was well worth it, to give that bastard James a trimming.

2. (UK Und.) sleight-of-hand used by a confidence trickster.

1608		Dekker Lanthorne and Candle-Light Ch. 11: This Art or slight of changing Gold into Siluer, is called Trimming.
1612		Chapman Widow’s Tears IV iv: gia.: If thou knew’st him, thou know’st wherefore; an ill-favoured trimming her errand. fan.: ’Tis very well, she trims my Captain prettily; in the meantime his head pays for all.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Trimming, c. Cheating People of their Money.

3. a reprimand, a dressing down, a verbal beating.

1675		‘W. Sherlock’ Anti-Sozzo in Vindication of some Great Truths Opposed etc. A4: They who superintend Ecclastical Affairs, would doubtless interpose, and bestow a deserved Trimming upon the Book.
1778		F. Burney Evelina (1861) 237: His mouth was wide distended into a broad grin at hearing his aunt give the beau such a trimming.
1826		Portfolio (London) 19 Oct. 10/2: Sir Dick is what sailors term a ‘rough knot’ and has [...] a stern way of administering juistice. [...] He gave his reverence a sound trimming.
1832		in Egan Bk of Sports 126: My ogles see in salt tears swimming, / Because she giv’d me such a trimming.

4. (UK Und.) the final stage of a confidence game, in which the victim loses his money.

1913–14		Van Loan ‘Easy Picking’ Taking the Count 307: You never know how these small-town guys will take a trimming.
1937		R. Westerby Wide Boys Never Work (1938) 99: Four weeks after the first ‘trimming,’ he discovered what it was all about.
1940		D. Maurer Big Con 22: It was much better psychology to take the victim to a smaller city for the trimming.
1956		I. Fleming Diamonds Are Forever (1958) 72: Anyone who caught a hot hand was measured for a trimming.