walking the plank
Buccaneer's forced march
Walking the plank is being forced to walk off a board extending over the side of a ship, falling into the sea to drown—a punishment associated with pirates in popular imagination.
The phrase now mostly appears figuratively for being forced out of a position: The CEO walked the plank after the scandal broke.
To make someone walk the plank is to compel their departure.
Caribbean colonial-era pirate
- corsairPirate or pirate ship
- BlackbeardFamous Caribbean buccaneer
- Jolly RogerBuccaneer's standard
- cutlassCurved slashing naval blade
galleon · mutiny · marooned · treasure · privateer · swashbuckler · schooner · brigantine
Large predatory fish
- drowningDeath by water inhalation
- abyssImmeasurably profound depth
- depthsLowest or innermost regions
- plungeSudden steep descent
fall · doom · dread · terror · trepidation · apprehension · foreboding · helplessness
Ship's flat surface
- gangwayNarrow corridor for access
- shipSeagoing transport vessel
- vesselReceptacle for contents
- sailorsMaritime vessel crew members
seafaring · maritime · waves · saltwater · hull · stern · railing · ocean
Completing a planned task
- sentenceComplete thought, grammatically
- condemnedOfficially declared unfit
- retributionPunishment for wrongdoing
- penaltyPunishment for wrongdoing
justice · verdict · judgment · guilt · deterrence · castigation · atonement · ultimatum
buccaneer
Caribbean colonial-era pirate
- corsairPirate or pirate ship
- BlackbeardFamous Caribbean buccaneer
- Jolly RogerBuccaneer's standard
cutlass · galleon · mutiny · marooned · treasure · privateer · swashbuckler · schooner · brigantine · Caribbean
sharks
Large predatory fish
plunge · fall · doom · dread · terror · trepidation · apprehension · foreboding · helplessness · desperation
deck
Ship's flat surface
sailors · seafaring · maritime · waves · saltwater · hull · stern · railing · ocean · sea
execution
Completing a planned task
- sentenceComplete thought, grammatically
- condemnedOfficially declared unfit
- retributionPunishment for wrongdoing
penalty · justice · verdict · judgment · guilt · deterrence · castigation · atonement · ultimatum · coercion
- pirate punishmentskeelhauling, marooning, keel hauling, thrown overboard
- piracysoftware piracy, pirates, torrents, book piracy, buccaneers
- seafaringship, sailors, ships, sail, sailor
- sea lorekraken, mermaids, mermaid, sea serpent, sirens
- Royal NavyRoyal Navy, admiral, warship, HMS Victory, battleship
- punishmentsjail, prison, timeout, grounded, fine
walking the planksalvation
Deliverance from harm
deliverance · rescue boat · cheating death · rescue · reprieve
walking the plankpardon
Official release from punishment
clemency · amnesty · absolution · exoneration · vindication
walking the plankpardon
Official release from punishment
reprieve · amnesty · release · safe passage · compassion
walk, walks, walked, walker, walkers, walkway, walkways, plank, planks