whipping post

• عمود خشبي تاريخي يُربط إليه المجرمون لتوقيع العقاب البدني عليهم أمام الناس كقصاص أو عقوبة. ويُستعمل أيضًا مجازيًا للإشارة إلى شخص أو جهة تُتَّخذ هدفًا دائمًا للنقد أو اللوم أو الإهانة.

A historical wooden post or pillar to which offenders were tied to be publicly whipped as a form of punishment. The term is now archaic and rarely used in modern contexts.

1. Historical punishment deviceC1formal

   A wooden post to which people were tied to be whipped as a form of public punishment.

   عمود الجلد

   • In colonial times, criminals were often tied to the whipping post.
   • The whipping post stood in the town square as a deterrent.
   • Historical reenactments sometimes include a whipping post.

2. Figurative: target of criticismC2informal

   A person or thing that is frequently blamed or criticized.

   كبش فداء

   • The CEO became the whipping post for the company's failures.
   • In the media, the politician was used as a whipping post for unpopular policies.
   • The team's poor performance made the coach a whipping post for fans.