\"taken to Sketchley\'s\"

English translation: taken to the cleaners > severely defeated

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:\"taken to Sketchley\'s\"
Selected answer:taken to the cleaners > severely defeated

17:32 Jan 4, 2019
    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2019-01-07 21:54:07 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)


English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Other / Football, Humiliation, FA Cup Final
English term or phrase: \"taken to Sketchley\'s\"
It is a kind of form of humiliation of the players / team / fans of the team who lost the match.

Two colleagues from work look at the match together.
One makes fun of the other,
who supports the opposing team
and says what will happen when his team fails.
Robert Janiak
Poland
Local time: 08:38
taken to the cleaners > severely defeated
Explanation:
Sketchley is, or used to be, the name of a familiar chain of dry cleaners in the UK:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/sketchley-quits-...

So "taken to Sketchley's" is a witty indirect way of saying "taken to the cleaners". The latter is an idiomatic set phrase, and one's of its meanings is relevant here:

"take someone to the cleaners
to defeat a person or team completely"
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/take-...

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Note added at 32 mins (2019-01-04 18:05:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry: I meant "one of its meanings".
Selected response from:

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 08:38
Grading comment
Thank you, Mr Davis.
Very fast, very good explained.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +6taken to the cleaners > severely defeated
Charles Davis


  

Answers


31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
\"taken to sketchley\'s\"
taken to the cleaners > severely defeated


Explanation:
Sketchley is, or used to be, the name of a familiar chain of dry cleaners in the UK:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/sketchley-quits-...

So "taken to Sketchley's" is a witty indirect way of saying "taken to the cleaners". The latter is an idiomatic set phrase, and one's of its meanings is relevant here:

"take someone to the cleaners
to defeat a person or team completely"
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/take-...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 32 mins (2019-01-04 18:05:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry: I meant "one of its meanings".

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 08:38
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 72
Grading comment
Thank you, Mr Davis.
Very fast, very good explained.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: Well said, Charles! You just beat me to it... Happy New Year!
9 mins
  -> Thanks, Tony :-) Happy New Year to you too!

agree  Björn Vrooman: Happy New Year! Almost like Velcro--use of a popular brand name to drive home a more general point. Though Velcro doesn't seem too fond of it: https://www.businessinsider.de/velcro-music-video-legal-team...
21 mins
  -> Happy New Year, Björn! I remember reading something about Velcro objecting to being used as a generic name, but I think they've lost that battle. No one says "hook-and-loop fasteners".

agree  Charlotte Fleming: Agree - and very well explained ;)
29 mins
  -> Thanks very much, Charlotte :-)

agree  B D Finch: Thanks to Bjorn for the video. I'll remember it next time I hoover something up or sellotape a parcel.
30 mins
  -> Many thanks!

agree  Piyush Ojha: Hadn't heard of them though they are the top google hit. I guess they were not in Northern Ireland.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Piyush :-) Maybe not; I remember them well in South London.

agree  JohnMcDove: If the question is not "Pro" -- the answer certainly is! Happy New 2019, Mr. Davis! ;-)
4 hrs
  -> Many thanks, John :-) It's easy if you've heard of them and impossible if you haven't.
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