Paddlin’
In Appalachian and Southern speech, a "paddlin’" (sometimes written "paddling") means a spanking or whipping with a paddle, especially as school discipline. It’s a folksy word for corporal punishment, remembered by many who grew up in rural schools.
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Oh I had a teacher that whooped me so hard that she left bruises. Worst 'paddlin’' I ever got. You know who you are. Oh I had a teacher that whooped me so hard that she left bruises. Worst 'paddlin’' I ever got. You know who you are. Pronunciation
Meaning & Usage
- A spanking with a paddle (noun)
Why’s he so quiet today?Got a paddlin’ from the teacher.- A punishment or whipping in general (figurative)
He mouthed off again?Yep, and he’s due a paddlin’ for it.Origin and Etymology
From "paddle," the wooden board used for corporal punishment in schools. The verb "to paddle" someone meant to spank them; "paddlin’" was the noun form for the punishment itself. Widely used in 20th-century American schools, especially in the South and Appalachia.
Usage Notes
Still remembered vividly in Southern and Appalachian storytelling. Less used outside the region, where "spanking" or "swats" were more common. Today it’s mostly a nostalgic or joking word, since paddling in schools has nearly disappeared.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "pad-lin." The final "g" is dropped: "paddlin’."