bed of nails
Yogi's painful platform
A bed of nails is a board studded with sharp nails pointing upward, associated with fakirs and ascetics who lie on them to demonstrate spiritual discipline or pain tolerance.
The phrase commonly appears as a metaphor for any uncomfortable or precarious situation: Waiting for the test results was like lying on a bed of nails.
Religious ascetic mendicant
- stuntDangerous feat for spectacle
- sideshowSecondary carnival attraction
- circusTraveling entertainment with performers
- daredevilReckless risk-taker
showmanship · audience · gasp · amazement · performance · entertainment · carnival · street performer
Devoted meditation practitioner
- fakirReligious ascetic mendicant
- sadhuHindu holy ascetic
- renunciationFormal surrender of claim
- mortificationIntense shame or embarrassment
self-discipline · austerity · penance · spiritual practice · tapas · monk · hermit · suffering
Capacity to recover quickly
- fortitudeEnduring courage under pain
- staminaCapacity for sustained effort
- gritDetermination or abrasive particles
- perseveranceSustained resolve despite obstacles
toughness · tolerance · tenacity · determination · pain threshold · willpower · persistence · stoicism
Penetrating or very sharp
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
- punctureHole from penetration
- discomfortMild physical or mental distress
- agonyExtreme physical or emotional pain
stabbing · wound · suffering · torture · laceration · marks · indentation · soreness
How mass is allocated
- surface areaMeasure of outer boundary
- pressureForce upon contact
- forceStrength or compulsion
- NewtonFamous scientific surname
demonstration · science experiment · classroom · equilibrium · mechanics · calculation · safety · counterintuitive
Anatomical vulnerability sites
- reflexologyFoot-point pressure therapy
- shiatsuJapanese digit-pressure bodywork
- holisticAddressing interconnected wholes
- therapyCurative mental treatment
wellness · relaxation · meridians · energy flow · healing · massage · stimulation · circulation
fakir
Religious ascetic mendicant
- stuntDangerous feat for spectacle
- sideshowSecondary carnival attraction
- circusTraveling entertainment with performers
daredevil · showmanship · audience · gasp · amazement · performance · entertainment · carnival · street performer · illusionist
yogi
Devoted meditation practitioner
- fakirReligious ascetic mendicant
- sadhuHindu holy ascetic
- renunciationFormal surrender of claim
mortification · self-discipline · austerity · penance · spiritual practice · tapas · monk · hermit · suffering · devotion
resilience
Capacity to recover quickly
- fortitudeEnduring courage under pain
- staminaCapacity for sustained effort
- gritDetermination or abrasive particles
perseverance · toughness · tolerance · tenacity · determination · pain threshold · willpower · persistence · stoicism · hardiness
piercing
Penetrating or very sharp
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
- punctureHole from penetration
- discomfortMild physical or mental distress
agony · stabbing · wound · suffering · torture · laceration · marks · indentation · soreness · threshold
weight distribution
How mass is allocated
- surface areaMeasure of outer boundary
- pressureForce upon contact
- forceStrength or compulsion
Newton · demonstration · science experiment · classroom · equilibrium · mechanics · calculation · safety · counterintuitive
pressure points
Anatomical vulnerability sites
- reflexologyFoot-point pressure therapy
- shiatsuJapanese digit-pressure bodywork
- holisticAddressing interconnected wholes
therapy · wellness · relaxation · meridians · energy flow · healing · massage · stimulation · circulation · rejuvenation
- circus actsacrobat, acrobats, trapeze artist, juggling, jugglers
- Stuntsstunt, stuntman, stunt double, daredevil, stunt performer
- variety actsacrobat, juggling, aerialist, magic, clown
- Sideshowfreak show, sideshow, bearded lady, fat lady, tattooed lady
- SMTstencil, SOP, leadless, gull wing, feeder
- bizarre magic
bed of nailsfeatherbed
Down-stuffed sleeping cushion
feather bed · cloud nine · bed of roses · silk sheets · soft landing
bed of nailsbed of roses
State of luxurious ease
cakewalk · smooth sailing · easy street · walk in the park · dream job
bed, beds, bedded, bedding, bedroom, bedside, bedridden, nail, nails