daylights

/ ˈdeɪˌlaɪts /

plural noun

1. consciousness or wits (esp in the phrases scare, knock, or beat the ( living ) daylights out of someone )

Example Sentences

"It scared the daylights out of me," he said.

From BBC

"It frightened the living daylights out of me," he said.

From BBC

“It scares the daylights out of me to see the numbers on the scale going up,” she said.

From Seattle Times

At the most wonderful time of the year, there is one tradition that John Maguire remembers fondly: his Liverpudlian grandmother trying to scare the daylights out of him.

From New York Times

“I chose tennis because I loved that you can just hit the living daylights out of the ball.”

From Washington Times