Shellacking

Mainly North American and Australian slang for an overwhelming defeat dates from the late 19th century. It derives from Shellac a type of wood varnish that was once popular but usage of which has now virtually died out except in the preservation and renovation of antique furniture. No one knows for certain how Shellac acquired this slang meaning but it is thought to be similar to words like plaster or paste, which when converted into verbs can also mean comprehensive defeats, as in a good pasting or plastering.