lay about one v. phr. To hit out in all directions.
■ Used with a reflexive object: "her", "him", or "them".
The bandits surrounded the sheriff, but he laid about him so hard, with his gun used as a club, that they stepped back and let him escape. Mrs. Franklin didn't kill the mouse, but she laid about her so hard with the broom that she scared it away. [TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲