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Over a barrel
Posted by ESC on July 05, 2009 at 18:58
In Reply to: Over a barrel posted by David FG on July 05, 2009 at 17:42:
: : What is the origin of phrase "to be over a barrel?"
: : Thank you for this wonderful service.
: Apparently it is of American origin, and the most likely derivation comes from a form of punishment, or humiliation, involving binding someone's hands and feet and rolling them over a barrel.
: A person in that situation is completely at the mercy of his captors/tormentors and thus is had 'over a barrel'.
: DFG
According to my references (and www.phrases.org.uk meanings over-a-barrel.html on this site) it refers to a method of forcing water out of a near drowning victim's lungs.
- Over a barrel David FG 06/July/09
- Over a barrel Smokey Stover 06/July/09
- Over a barrel R. Berg 06/July/09
