Back in the day,when parents were allowed to spank their children as means of last resort,occasionally a mother would make a wayward child go outside and select a willowy branch which would be used to "switch" the naked legs.Having to select the instrument of your punishment was considered cruel and unusual punishment.Sometime this was pre-punishment as indicated by "And just you wait until your dad gets home".
I would alway get a Forsythiabranch as the device of my cruel and unusual punishment.
