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beats me

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(It) beats me.

 and (It's) got me beat.; You got me beat.

Inf. I do not know the answer.; I cannot figure it out. The question has me stumped. (The stress is on me.) Bill: When are we supposed to go over to Tom's? Bill: Beats me. Sally: What's the largest river in the world? Bob: You got me beat.

See also: beat

(it) beats me

(spoken) also what beats me

I do not know or understand It beats me how he managed to survive for three weeks alone in the mountains.

Usage notes: often said in answer to a question: a€?How should we explain this?a€? a€?Beats me.a€? sometimes used in the form beats the hell out of me: So why am I waiting in line to get into this movie? Beats the hell out of me.

See also: beat

(it) beats me

  (informal)

something that you say when you cannot understand something (often + question word) It beats me how he managed to survive for three weeks alone in the mountains. (informal)

See also: beat

beats me

This baffles or puzzles me, as in I don't know how he does it-beats me! This term originally may have alluded to a winning poker hand. It may also be related to the even earlier usage of beat for "astonished" or "at a loss." [Slang; mid-1800s]

See also: beat

beats me

tv. [the answer is] not known to me. (The emphasis is on me.) I don’t know the answer. Beats me!

See also: beat