whale away

Idioms and Phrases

Attack physically or verbally, as in Our boys whaled away at the enemy , or The talk-show host whaled away at the hostile critics . The word whale here does not allude to the ocean mammal, but means “flog” or “thrash.” [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

At that juncture the look-out at the masthead shouted, “A dead whale away to the southward!”

From Project Gutenberg