Nautical Term: Hang from the yards
Definition of Hang from the yards
:suspend a man from one of the yard arms as a form of punishment; this method could involve hanging the man by the neck if he was to be executed, or by the toes if he was merely to be tortured. This severe form of punishment was commonly used aboard sailing ships in the past. Nowadays, a reprimand or a warning would suffice as an alternative form of discipline.
Example: The captain noticed that the crew had been neglecting their duties for several days. As a result, the captain ordered the crew’s rations to be withheld until they had completed their tasks. However, despite the captain’s warning, some members of the crew continued to shirk their duties.
In response to this persistent disobedience, the captain decided to take more drastic measures. He ordered a man to be selected from among the crew members who had been consistently disobedient. The man was then suspended from one of the yard arms as a form of punishment. The man was left hanging there for several hours as a reminder to the other crew members of the consequences of disobedience.
After this severe punishment had been administered, the other members of the crew were finally motivated to take their
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