beat it—
1. (sl., often imper.) go away immediately:
- Mike yelled at them and told them to beat it. He then returned to comfort his children.
2. (coll.) surpass or do better:
- Tell the dealer what you’ve already secured in terms of the interest rate and ask if he can beat it.
Cf.: you can’t beat it— said of smth. of the highest quality and unlikely to be surpassed:
- We have an appreciation for good food, and you can’t beat it in places like Trattoria Milanese.
it beats me —(coll., also: it beats my time) it surpasses my understanding; it leaves me puzzled:
- It beats me how this prestigious project can be awarded to such a poor architect.