Re: "To tear off a strip"

Posted by ESC on June 01, 2000

In Reply to: Derivative of "To tear off a strip" posted by Sue Williams on June 01, 2000

: Could anyone please tell me how the phrase "To tear off a strip" came into being?

Here's a guess. When children were whipped with switches from trees? If done with excessive zeal, that could result in tearing off a strip of skin.