frazzle, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

frazzle n.

[SE frazzle, a frayed end, a fragment, a shred]

(orig. US) a state of emotional and/or physical exhaustion; usu. as to a frazzle, completely, utterly; esp. in phrs. below.

1865		J.B. Gordon in Jones Life & Letters Robert E Lee (1906) 369: Gordon’s reply [...] was this: ‘Tell General Lee, I have fought my corps to a frazzle’.
1905		Wash. Star 24 Nov. 22: The Beckham machine whipped Blackburn to a frazzle .
1907		Eve. Statesman (Walla Walla, WA) 5 Mar. 3/2: Remarking that Blinks has Jinks [...] beat to a frazzle, or a hard-boiled frazzle.
1907		C. M’Govern By Bolo and Krag 28: [I was] doing continually the harmless idiot racket to a frazzle.
1910		Wodehouse Psmith in the City (1993) 35: It reduced my delicately vibrating ganglions to a mere frazzle.
1918		R.D. Paine Fighting Fleets 91: We’re hooked up fast together until we trim the Hun to a frazzle.
1919		Aussie (France) XII Mar. 5/2: I suppose his deferred pay will be done to a frazzle before I see him again.
1921		Mencken letter 23 Feb. in Riggio Dreiser-Mencken Letters II (1986) 428: I have been worked to a frazzle.
1935		C. Drew ‘Gozo’ in Bulletin 27 Mar. 46/3: I’ve seen some good wrestlin’ goes in me time, but the bout them two birds put up beat everything else to a frazzle.
1941		in G. Legman Limerick (1953) 2: The girls he would dazzle, / And fuck to a frazzle.
1948		I.L. Idriess Opium Smugglers 209: He’s got us fried to a frazzle [...] He’s beaten us all along the line.
1954		Wodehouse Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit 41: They had sweated themselves to a frazzle.
1959		E. De Roo Go, Man, Go! 40: The social connections were only running her mother to a frazzle.
1966		M. Rumaker Exit 3 and Other Stories 166: That old Polack and his grocery orders runs my poor little tail to a frazzle.
1972		(con. 1916) G. Swarthout Tin Lizzie Troop (1978) 33: Don’t argue with ’em, don’t hobnob with ’em, and train ’em to a frazzle.
2013		Cape Times (SA) 12 July 🌐 [heading] less dazzle than frazzle. Public relations junkets are no holiday.

In compounds

frazzle-headed (adj.)

wild, crazy, unkempt.

1988

M. Atwood Cat’s Eye (1989) 405: Now I can see myself, through these painted eyes [...] a frazzle-headed ragamuffin from heaven knows where, a gypsy practically.

In phrases

beat to a frazzle (v.) (also lick to a frazzle)

(orig. US) to destroy completely, to defeat or exhaust.

1907		Eve. Statesman (Walla Walla, WA) 5 Mar. 3/2: Remarking that Blinks has Jinks [...] beat to a frazzle, or a hard-boiled frazzle.
1913		J. London Valley of the Moon (1914) 57: You’re lookin’ white an’ all beat to a frazzle. [Ibid.] 155: We’re finished. We’re licked to a frazzle.
1914		Truth (Melbourne) 31 Jan. 6/1: Playing ‘sandydandy’ with a bevy of unchaperoned darlings beats going home to a seaside hash-house dinner to a frazzle.
1920		Marvel 7 Aug. 18: Guess you’ve beaten me to a frazzle, too, kid.
1922		‘Sapper’ Black Gang 320: Our hostess has me beat to a frazzle.
1928		J. Callahan Man’s Grim Justice 190: I was licked to a frazzle.
1929		D.H. Clarke In the reign of Rothstein 59: Jim Smith had taken upon himself the prosecution of this second trial with the promise that he would beat Fallon to a frazzle.
1939		H.E. Bates My Uncle Silas 150: He challenged Goffy to a five-mile race, and beat him to a frazzle.
1942		N. Algren Never Come Morning (1988) 47: All you had to do was talk like a lawyer and he was licked to a frazzle.
1954		J.E. Macdonnell Jim Brady 45: He licked me. Licked me to a frazzle.

wear to a frazzle (v.) (also wear to frazzles)

(orig. US) to tire someone out; usu. as worn to a frazzle, completely exhausted.

1884		J. Harrison ‘Negro English’ in Anglia VII 271: Wo’ ter er frazzle = worn out.
1899		Ade Fables in Sl. (1902) 96: Botts, the Viperish Defendant, had [...] nagged her with Sarcastic Comments until her Tender Sensibilities had been worn to a Frazzle.
1911		S. Ford Torchy 120: It’s a gag them curb shysters has wore to a frazzle.
1934		J. Peterkin Roll, Jordan, Roll 176: The youngsters [...] are undisturbed by such warnings as ‘I’ll skin you alive,’ ‘I’ll wear you to a frazzle’.
1950		(con. 1936–46) K.S. Prichard Winged Seeds (1984) 87: She’s wearing herself to frazzles carrying on like this.
1984		C. White Life and Times of Little Richard 155: He would be about to wear you to a frazzle.
1952		Beckley Post-Herald (WV) 11 Dec. 9/2: [I]f he is to [...] steal rebounds from tall husky adversaries without being worn to a frazzle.
1998		P. Bailey Kitty and Virgil (1999) 20: It wore itself to a frazzle.
2001		A. Sillitoe Birthday 113: Sausages like pricks worn to a frazzle after an orgy.
2005		H. Mantel Beyond Black 179: We’re all worn to a frazzle [...] we’re on the end of out nerves.