Tawse

Common card · No. 300958

The tawse, sometimes formerly spelled taws (the plural of Scots taw, a thong of a whip), is an implement for corporal punishment applied either to the buttocks (see spanking) or the palm of the hand (known as hand tawsing). The tawse is a leather strap that has one end split into two or more strips. A spanking administered with a tawse is technically known as tawsing, although the terms strapping and belting may be used to describe it. The general sensation from a tawsing is a stinging that gives way to more notable burning and throbbing pain, however the exact experience will be influenced by factors such as: the number of strokes administered, the speed at which the strokes are administered, the force behind the strokes, the thickness of the tawse itself (with a thicker tawse typically resulting in greater intensity), and the individual's pain tolerance. The tawse is associated with Scotland, particularly in educational discipline, but it was also used in schools in a few English cities...

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