frogmarch

Etymology

From frog + march. Originated c. 1871, from the resemblance of the target to a splayed-out frog.

Why this word is great

FROGMARCH — [Verb] To force a person to move forward against their will by holding and pinning their arms from behind or the sides, or to carry them face-down with each limb held by a separate person. From frog (resembling the splayed posture of a frog) + march (to move in a steady, forceful manner). Originated c. 1871. Unlike "escort" (which implies a veneer of cooperation) or "drag" (which suggests a messy, uncoordinated haul), frogmarching is a methodical humiliation—a forced procession with the precision of a perverse parade. It is the drunkard’s arms locked behind him like wings, the protestor’s body suspended between two officers as if in mid-leap, the limp figure borne aloft like a broken marionette—each step a reminder that resistance is futile, and dignity, a temporary illusion.

noun

  1. The process of frogmarching a person.

verb

  1. To march or force a person forward while holding their arms from behind or the side, as a prisoner.“Maybe it happened during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when no one could work and soldiers frog-marched curfew-breakers through the township streets like criminals.”
  2. To force a person forward against their will.“The wind frogmarched me at a run into the house.”
  3. To carry a person face-down with one person holding each limb.
  4. To forcibly relocate a person, especially in a degrading or humiliating manner.