So this came up last night: What are those things called that the colonials used to use for punishment? The structures where the person puts their head and arms through the holes and stands in shame.
Our guesses:
- Stockades.
- Stocks.
- Stockyards.
- Bonds.
- Stockings.
- Stock Photos.
- Stox.
- (It would be very funny if I now went to google this and learned “stock” isn’t part of the name.)
*drum roll*
Oh no.
It’s “pillory.”
From The Dictionary:
Pillory
[ pil-uh-ree ]
noun, plural pil·lo·ries.
a wooden framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used to expose an offender to public derision.
I guess that’s where that word comes from.
To be fair, stocks are associated with pillories. Stocks held the feet. You guys want pictures? I’m taking them from Wikipedia. First one’s the pillory. Second one’s the stocks.
