Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to astonish, to surprise.

1880		Trollope Duke’s Children (1954) 376: He confessed to himself that he was completely bowled over, – knocked off his pins!
1902		Ade Forty Modern Fables 69: Mazie never failed to Bowl him over, for she was a Dream of Loveliness.
1925		Wodehouse Carry on, Jeeves 38: I was bowled over. Absolutely. It was the limit.
1934		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Young Manhood in Studs Lonigan (1936) 206: Bowl ’em over by flashing his roll.
1944		L. Glassop We Were the Rats 5: He was a real big noise, eh? Bowled a lotter blokes over?
1953		C. Boeckman ‘Tough Cop’ in Margulies Back Alley Jungle (1963) 111: The band was fair. It wouldn’t bowl you over, but it had a good rhythm.
1963		‘Nino Culotta’ Gone Fishin’ 183: Coulda bowled me over with a feather when I seen ’im haulin’ ’em in.
1978		P. Theroux Picture Palace 88: He was bowled over by my photographs.
1999		Observer Screen 20 June 6: America has been bowled over by Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
2000		Guardian Guide 12–18 Feb. 24: He joined Stan Getz and proved strong enough to attract the attentions of audiences bowled over by Getz in his last and greatest period.

2. to defeat, also fig. use.

1862		Cornhill Mag. 729: You have bowled me over, and I know I can’t get up again [F&H].
1878		H.M. Stanley Through the Dark Continent II, 291: I sent in a zinc bullet close to the ear, which bowled it [the rhinoceros] over, dead [F&H].
1905		Sporting Times 6 May 1/4: A well-known doctor, driving his own car inexpertly, bowled a rustic over.
1914		C. Holme Lonely Plough (1931) 196: He was the sure the Show atmosphere would have bowled him over at once.
1927		H.E. Rockwell ‘Color Stuff’ in AS III:1 29: The boxer, according to the sporting writer, ‘whambs,’ ‘socks,’ ‘busts,’ ‘bowls over,’ ‘flips or jabs a left or right,’ ‘raps ’em in the chops,’ ‘pokes,’ ‘whacks,’ ‘knocks his can off,’ ‘hammers,’ and ‘wallops’ his opponent.
1982		G. Newbold Big Huey 132: All the guys who had anything to do with the poofters were going to get bowled over.