Public spanking

Why did they use the word "swats"?

That, I don't know. It was also used interchangeably with 'licks' as in, "My punishment is five licks or three days in detention."

That, I don't know. It was also used interchangeably with 'licks' as in, "My punishment is five licks or three days in detention."

'Licks' sounds like a word that might be used in the South or the Appalachian region. Sort of old fashioned folksy from down on the farm back in the day.

There are specialists in regional variants of the English language who could apparently pinpoint where such words are more likely to be be used. There are so many subtleties in English that are so fascinating to ponder on. It might also be that some words are more archaic than others, they come from older usages that have remained in vogue in out of the way places to then reemerge at a later time.

Bill Bryson was a wonderful author who explored the many oddities and historical subtleties of English. This would be a question right up his alley.

Why did they use the word swat!

Just a coincidence (I doubt this has anything to do with etymology). BUTT “Swat” spelled backwards is “TAWS” (alternate spelling of tawse - look it up) which is defined as a “leather thong split at the end used to punish children.”

TAWS - from The Century Dictionary.

• noun A leather strap, usually with a slit or fringe-like end, used as an instrument of punishment by schoolmasters and others.

TAWS - from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun Scot. A leather lash, or other instrument of punishment, used by a schoolmaster.

There is no such thing as coincidence. I can prove that using the same dictionary-based facts I used to prove it in 1969 at the ripe old age of 7 (and still before I found out that Father Christmas wasn't real).

Meanwhile, why do some people use the word "licks" in a spanking context? Licking is what we do with our tongue to ice cream or something. It has no remote connection to spanking.

I'm such a word nerd.

The etymology of "tawse": It derives from "taw," which comes from the Middle English "tawen," from Old English "tawian" (“to do, make”), from Proto-West Germanic "tawōn," a variant of Proto-West Germanic "tauwjan", from Proto-Germanic "tawjaną" (“to make, prepare”), from Proto-Indo-European "dewh"- (“to tie to, secure”).

At one time it meant to secure by means of a hemp rope or leather strap. Used as a verb, to taw something was to cure hemp or hides through the chemical tanning process, ending with beating it to soften it. It's not a huge leap to reach tawse, to beat as punishment.

I've only seen a little video of humans being tawsed. It looks as brutal as the heavy prison straps used in US and Canadian prison systems at one time. Pity the Scottish students who suffered it!

Meanwhile, why do some people use the word "licks" in a spanking context? Licking is what we do with our tongue to ice cream or something. It has no remote connection to spanking.

Not saying any of this is true - but there are several rationlizations for linking the word "lick" to spanking. Here are a couple, there are others if you search for them:

"The origin is in the Latin taken from the Etruscans (700 B.C.). The word “licks” as in “get your licks in” refers to being beaten with rods that were carried and administered by the “lictors” (hence the word "licks"). “Lictor” literally means “rod bearers”. The rods the lictors used were bundled together into what was called the fasces: a symbol of penal authority composed of a bundle of rods about five feet long, used to beat people." From “Fifty Days Through the Book of Acts”, to be published in 2023, by Mark Schwarzbauer PhD.

"Lick" is also metaphorical or figurative expression, which in one way or another goes back to ancient times. The original Hebrew book of Numbers contains the idea of an army ‘licking up’ resistance like a cow ‘licking up’ grass. But perhaps a more direct antecedent is the belief, found for instance in writings of Pliny the Elder, that bear cubs are born as amorphous blobs, and their mothers literally ‘lick them into shape’.

I wouldn't have thought of any of that. I especially wouldn't have thought of "lictor" as being the root of the word "lick". It sounds about as likely as "catalogue" being derived from "cat".

On the other hand, words like "smack" and "whack" are onomatopoeic words that suggest the SOUND of a spanking, aren't they? That's why I like to use words like that.

I wouldn't have thought of any of that. I especially wouldn't have thought of "lictor" as being the root of the word "lick". It sounds about as likely as "catalogue" being derived from "cat".

On the other hand, words like "smack" and "whack" are onomatopoeic words that suggest the SOUND of a spanking, aren't they? That's why I like to use words like that.

Probably not, but extrapolating cat from catalogue is a stretch analogy. At least “lictor” has some tie to someone being beaten. Unless you beat your cat with a catalogue , I don’t see the similarity. “Lick” ”as a reference to spanking or inferenceing dominance or pain came from somewhere. Many so called “experts” will come up with ridiculous reasons … most are just humorous! Where did tanning your hide come from? Tanning booths?

As far as I’m concerned, these terms, (when used to child discipline), are just abuse. For adults, just play.

Meanwhile, why do some people use the word "licks" in a spanking context? Licking is what we do with our tongue to ice cream or something. It has no remote connection to spanking.

Words that now sound odd when used or seem used in an odd manner are often archaic throwbacks to common usage from earlier centuries. Since English (thankfully) has no body of learned persons defining and regulating its usage, as opposed to for instance the Academie Francaise or the Nederlandse Taalunie (for Dutch), correct English is whatever a majority or even a halfway significant minority of English-speakers use.

This means that old words often stick around, out of linguistic inertia or because they are used by isolated social groups or because they are suddenly in vogue again for some unfathomable reason.

My favorite is the phrase 'to trip the light fantastic' which means to dance. It was suddenly in vogue during the 1920s after it appeared in a hit song (I'm Gonna Dance Wid the Guy That Brung Me) after being dormant more or less since the 16th century. It comes from the phrase that describes courtly dancing back then: to trip the light fantastic toe, which refers to how feet were deftly used to dance with a partner while standing still, with 'trip' used in the sense of moving.

So, if you do a bit of searching you'll find that 'to lick' (as in to hit) appears in a 16th century Bible verse:

"to beat, surpass, overcome" 1530s, perhaps from figurative use of lick (v.1) in the Coverdale bible that year in a sense of "defeat, annihilate" (an enemy's forces) in Numbers xxii.4:

Now shal this heape licke up all that is about vs, euen as an oxe licketh vp the grasse in the field.

But to lick (of) the whip "taste punishment" is attested from mid-15c.

also from 1530s

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And aside from all the interesting history, words in English, and in many other languages as well, often have several meanings although they are spelled just the same. One has to derive the correct meaning from the context of a sentence. This is really nothing all that surprising or new.

This is a wonderfully lyrical and versatile way to go about using a language that retains a great many connotations to how it was used in previous centuries.

English is what the people who use English make it out to be. Now isn't that wonderfully democratic?

I have to say I’m fascinated and also horrified of the idea of students being spanked at school, whether in front of their classmates or in the privacy of a principals office. There was no corporal punishment at my schools. I can only imagine that some principals got sexual gratification from it.

In my country public caning in school is given by the headmaster. Girls are never cane in public in schools.

A school desk will be placed in the centre of the stage and all the students will assemble in the school hall. The student to be cane will be accompanied by the discipline master into the hall. The headmaster will then announce the offence that the student have committed and the cane will be applied on the bottom fully clothed. It is usually six of the best.

Spankings in school were terminated for me in Jr. High School. I never got one, mind you, but heard the sounds and aftermath plenty of times.

I use to get a lot bc I was an average student.when I was at hostel in my middle school every Friday we had weekly exam who ever get lower marks get spanked by a thick stick while bending over and hand were on desk in front of everyone in classroom it was really embracing.

I do enjoy caning and paddling videos. Especially girls boarding school. Ive watched them about 20 yrs and enjoy seeing females disciplined an swollen asses.

In Romania, during our communist era before The '90s, it was common for teachers to spank students with a wooden ruller on their palms (usually in city schools) and even on their bottoms over their uniforms, especially in rural schools.

I "got it" many times in both ways, even being pulled out in front of the class.

Much worse, however, was that parents were notified of the whole story, usually through a note signed by the teacher, which you had to take home to be signed by one of your parents and then bring it back to school the next day...

Because of this note, at home, was possible to receive a proper correction, in my case my mother liked to use the switch or the belt on my bare bottom till my butt was really blistered...

Spanking in school in Texas was still legally on the books when I was growing up. I remember teachers occasionally outlining this factoid and describing the methodology: It was always a paddling over your clothes, and was administered in the principal’s office with a witness. If you were a girl, you could request that it be administered by one of the female staff.

I never experienced it and never knew of anyone in my school who did. But you would occasionally hear a story from another district in the newspaper or on the local news because every time it happened it seemed to drum up controversy.

@Jane_Woo

In my country public caning in school is given by the headmaster. Girls are never cane in public in schools.

Do you mind me asking what country you are from? Just out of curiosity.

Spanking in school in Texas was still legally on the books when I was growing up.

I never experienced it and never knew of anyone in my school who did. But you would occasionally hear a story from another district in the newspaper or on the local news because every time it happened it seemed to drum up controversy.

A school spanking was written up in a local newspaper or aired on local TV? Good grief almighty! Was there such a dearth of other newsworthy items? Or was it give readers and listeners something to pleasantly mull about? As in trying to imagine how so and so looked with a blistered (preferably naked) behind?

That is really weirdo Nosy Nellie behavior.

@agracier I mean, the spanking itself wasn’t aired of course. But inevitably what would happen - and I noticed it was always female students involved, never male - is the parents would complain to the school district that their kid was spanked and then put in a story with the newspaper or the media as a way to gain leverage when the district would correctly point out that it was policy and *the kid chose to be spanked as opposed to taking an in-school suspension or detention or whatever*. Often times this had the goal of taking the district to court to get some sort of financial settlement. Some of these parents would even admit they were pro-spanking but insist that their daughters should be exempt from it for some reason or that the situation that led to it was somehow unfair to them. Really it’s part of a wider societal breakdown of cooperation between parents and schools which has now led to many schools being completely unequipped to effectively enforce discipline.

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I never heard of anyone actually being paddled in middle school or high school (1969 to 1976) in Washington State.

Our gym teacher in 8th grade said he used to paddle kids with the "Whooper" which was an old tennis shoe of his. He had cut off the cloth area around the heal so the heal area was the handle.

One day a friend and I asked him if we could experience a few whacks with the Whooper and he obliged. He smacked us pretty hard, because we asked for it, but I'm sure it was not as hard as someone who really deserved it.

Get smacked in his office, bent over touching my toes, was thrilling, exhilarating, and exciting.

I could have gotten used to it.

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@PutMeInTheCorner I am from the famous country that cane an American youth in prison many years ago. I am from the country of Singapore.

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Really it’s part of a wider societal breakdown of cooperation between parents and schools which has now led to many schools being completely unequipped to effectively enforce discipline.

@PutMeInTheCorner

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... Amen, @PutMeInTheCorner !!

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I am from the famous country that cane an American youth in prison many years ago. I am from the country of Singapore.

A very different type caning from what anyone here would have direct experience of! But a punishment that some authorities believe does make for a better society.

@PutMeInTheCorner I am from the famous country that cane an American youth in prison many years ago. I am from the country of Singapore.

Why not add that bit of information to your profile now that it is on the forum.

@charles_uk I can come back at night at 2 am alone safe and sound. It is one of the safest country in the world.

I guess the caning helps. Only man are cane in prison. Naughty girl like me are cane at home.

There are rumours that those man who are cane in prison the caning mark are there for life.

Unfortunately I not able to confirm this as I am not able to pull down their pants and check their bottom.🤣🤣😂

https://ftnnews.com/travel-news/tours/singapore-is-worlds-safest-city-for-tourists-caracas-is-the-most-risky-forbes-advisor/#google_vignette

@Jane_Woo

So, men can be judicially caned but women can’t? Is there some other form of corporal punishment reserved for women or do they just get prison time? What’s the reasoning?

@PutMeInTheCorner As far as I know there isn’t any kind of corporal punishment reserved for women as I haven’t been in prison and don’t intend to.

The only thing I know is that strip searched is common whenever they go in and out of the prison.

In Singapore, women are not caned due to legal restrictions. Specifically, the law exempts women from being caned, along with men over 50 and men sentenced This is what I found on internet the reason why are not cane.

Caning in Singapore requires the condemned be fully naked when the punishment is carried out. So maybe our modesty they are not cane as Singapore follows the British law as it was under the rule of the British empire for many years.

I believe why women are not caned is just a carry over from historical times.

Another argument is that caning women will irreparably damage her reproductive organs and this would be deemed punishment not proportionate to the crime she might have carried out.

There are rumours that some man that are cane become impotent.

I watched a video of a caning in Singapore. The man was tied naked to a frame and a sort of saddle with a large hole in it was placed over his butt so that the cane would only hit his buttocks. The cane was applied very forcefully. Then he was led to a recovery room where a number of naked men were lying face down on a row of beds with their wounded butts exposed. The process looked pretty brutal.

I was swatted, only once, in grade school, with a large paddle which was applied with considerable force, over my pants. My butt tingled for 10 or 15 minutes. It was either that or stay after school for an hour.