Tar-and-feather for Dummies
verb
What does Tar-and-feather really mean?
Hey there! Alright, so let me break it down for you. "Tar-and-feather" is actually a phrase made up of two words: "tar" and "feather." Now, picture this: imagine you have a can of sticky, black gooey substance called tar. It's like a really thick, sticky liquid that can be used to seal things or stick things together, kind of like glue. Got it so far?
Now, think about feathers. You know, those soft, fluffy things that birds have? Well, in this case, we're talking about using feathers from birds, like a chicken or a duck. Feathers are light and gentle, right?
Okay, now here's where it gets interesting. When people say "tar-and-feather," they're actually talking about a form of punishment that was used in the past. It was a way of publicly shaming or humiliating someone who was considered a wrongdoer or a troublemaker.
So, what happened was this: the person being punished would have hot tar poured or brushed onto their skin. And you can imagine, tar is really sticky and gooey, so it would stick to their body and clothes, making it really uncomfortable. And then, feathers would be thrown or stuck to the tar, kind of like when you put feathers on glue. The feathers would stick to the tar, making the person look silly and ridiculous.
This punishment was meant to bring embarrassment and shame to the person, and it was often done in front of a crowd of people, almost like a public spectacle. Can you imagine how embarrassing that would be? The person would be all sticky with tar and covered in feathers, completely humiliated in front of everyone.
So, to sum it all up, "tar-and-feather" means to cover someone with sticky tar and stick feathers to their body as a form of public humiliation or punishment. It's a way of making someone feel really embarrassed and ashamed of their actions.
Now, let me ask you a question: can you think of any other ways people might feel embarrassed or ashamed? Maybe if they did something really silly or got caught doing something they shouldn't have? It's kind of like when you spill juice all over your shirt and everyone starts laughing at you, right?
Now, think about feathers. You know, those soft, fluffy things that birds have? Well, in this case, we're talking about using feathers from birds, like a chicken or a duck. Feathers are light and gentle, right?
Okay, now here's where it gets interesting. When people say "tar-and-feather," they're actually talking about a form of punishment that was used in the past. It was a way of publicly shaming or humiliating someone who was considered a wrongdoer or a troublemaker.
So, what happened was this: the person being punished would have hot tar poured or brushed onto their skin. And you can imagine, tar is really sticky and gooey, so it would stick to their body and clothes, making it really uncomfortable. And then, feathers would be thrown or stuck to the tar, kind of like when you put feathers on glue. The feathers would stick to the tar, making the person look silly and ridiculous.
This punishment was meant to bring embarrassment and shame to the person, and it was often done in front of a crowd of people, almost like a public spectacle. Can you imagine how embarrassing that would be? The person would be all sticky with tar and covered in feathers, completely humiliated in front of everyone.
So, to sum it all up, "tar-and-feather" means to cover someone with sticky tar and stick feathers to their body as a form of public humiliation or punishment. It's a way of making someone feel really embarrassed and ashamed of their actions.
Now, let me ask you a question: can you think of any other ways people might feel embarrassed or ashamed? Maybe if they did something really silly or got caught doing something they shouldn't have? It's kind of like when you spill juice all over your shirt and everyone starts laughing at you, right?
Revised and Fact checked by Mike Johnson on 2023-10-30 05:20:39
Tar-and-feather In a sentece
Learn how to use Tar-and-feather inside a sentece
- In the olden days, people would tar-and-feather someone who was caught stealing.
- If someone lied to their friends and they found out, they might decide to tar-and-feather that person as a punishment.
- Imagine a town where everyone knows each other and if someone did something really mean, the whole town might decide to tar-and-feather that person together.
- Sometimes, in stories, a brave hero would be tar-and-feathered by the bad guys to try and stop them from helping others.
- Let's say there was a big fight between two groups, and one group captured a member of the other group, they might tar-and-feather that person to show their victory.
Tar-and-feather Hypernyms
Words that are more generic than the original word.