Would You Walk the Plank?
To Be Forced to Accept the Consequences of Something. the Phrase Refers to the Idea of Pirates Forcing Their Prisoners to Walk off a Plank on a Ship and...
To be forced to accept the consequences of something. The phrase refers to the idea of pirates forcing their prisoners to walk off a plank on a ship and ultimately drown in the ocean. The person who's embezzling money from the company will have to walk the plank once their identity is discovered.
Did pirates actually walk the plank?
At risk of disappointing pirate fans, the answer is mostly “no.” Pirates did make people walk the plank every now and then, but historical records seem to indicate the practice was extremely rare. In fact, pirates preferred not to kill their victims.
What is the meaning of the idiom walk the plank?
Be forced to resign, as in We were sure that Ted hadn't left of his own accord; he'd walked the plank. This metaphoric idiom alludes to a form of execution used in the 17th century, mainly by pirates, whereby a victim was forced to walk off the end of a board placed on the edge of the ship's deck and so drown. [