beat someone’s time—
1. (Sport) improve on a person’s achievement:
- Samson wins the race, but Xena, off in the women’s Olympics, beats his time anyway.
2. (coll.) obtain or achieve smth. ahead of another:
- Well, I thought I was up for that promotion but he beat my time with his latest project.
3. (coll.) start a romantic relationship with smb.’s partner:
- Suppose Celia was in love with some man and Elspeth beat her time with him.
it beats my time—(coll., also: it beats me) it surpasses my understanding; it leaves me mystified:
- When she took up the pan she was puzzled to find that several biscuits were missing. “It beats my time,” she said, aloud.