skin alive
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Punish severely, as in If I find the guy who slashed my tire I'll skin him alive. This hyperbolic expression transfers the barbaric practice of flaying a live prisoner to other forms of punishment. [Colloquial mid-1800s]
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"
"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."
Question 1 of 7
IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?
Words nearby skin alive
skim off, skimp, skimpy, skim-read, skin, skin alive, skin and bones, skin care, skin-deep, skin-dive, skin diving
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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