AT school if you were slippered, you were punished if a plimsoll why was this?

Question

When I attended school in the 70's and 80's one form of punishment was getting the slipper. This involved being smacked with a plimsoll, what I am wondering if why the punishment was called being slippered and not something else.

Answer 1

It was out of style in my school by the time I came along. My Grandfather and father got the cane, though.
--That Cheeky Lad

Answer 2

Well I know what you are talking about, it makes complete sense. Children were often slippered with carpet slippers at home and the plimsoll was a similar type of implement and the actual punishment is so similar. Also, plimsolls were often called gym slippers. Hence, we were given the slipper in both scenarios. Incidentally, I was slippered at all my schools, always with plimsolls. I was never beaten with a carpet slipper. I was beaten with many other implements though.

Answer 3

It depended on the teacher. Some teachers would use the strap - a thick piece of leather about 20 inches long for even quite minor things, like talking in class or not handing in your homework. It hurt too - the strap was used three times across the hand and it left the hand badly swollen and bruised. The worst punishment was the plimsoll; this was used by our PE teacher and hurt much, much more than the strap - probably because he was a big man and used all his force in hitting your hand as hard as he could.

I have to say that I don't recall those days as the happiest of my life!!

Answer 4

One of my school masters actually used an old slipper that is, I believe more traditional; hence the name.
I think that corporal punishment was much more effective than the current protracted forms of discipline that may involve parents, suspension, social workers and even psychiatrists.
A short encounter with a slipper, ruler or cane and you were back to lessons with no serious damage done.
This also provided some gratification to the masters who did a job that had few fringe benefits.

Answer 5

At my old school, you were given a choice of cane, slipper(plimpsoll), rubber tubing, steel ruler, plus other sadistic things.
Some left marks but the rubber tubing (as off bunsen burner- usually 2 or 3 knotted together) left no mark. One of the lads was whacked with a Dunlop tennis shoe and proudly displayed the dunlop emblem on his a-rse for hours !!
Don't really understand your question but hope this helps.

Answer 6

Because very few teachers came to work in slippers.
I was subjected to it by our games teacher who used a trainer (and it hurt like hell). More serious offenders went to see the deputy head for the cane

Answer 7

I got the slipper once, and I was in school in the 90's! Must be something illegal there.

Answer 8

Plimsoll Slipper

Answer 9

My brother had it and they called it Dennis the Dap, it was gone by the time i got to high school.

Answer 10

Eh?What are you on about?Haven't a clue.