flog

Everyday

1. To beat someone hard with a whip or stick as a punishment (now illegal in most places). tree →
2. (UK, Australia, informal) To sell something, often quickly or cheaply. tree →
3. (Australia, NZ slang) To steal. tree →
4. (informal) «flog a dead horse»: waste effort on something that will not work. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons: sailors and prisoners were flogged long ago — cruel punishments. In UK and Australian slang: «He's flogging his old bike» means selling it. «Flogging a dead horse» means trying to do something that is hopeless.

Examples

• Long ago, sailors were flogged for breaking rules. tree →
• (UK informal) I'm going to flog my old scooter online. tree →
• (Australia slang) Someone flogged my pencil case! tree →
• Trying to fix that broken toy is flogging a dead horse. tree →
• The cruel captain flogged the crew. tree →
• (informal) They flogged all the cakes in ten minutes. tree →
• The king read the paper, and ordering the man to be flogged, dismissed him. tree →

Note

Double the g: flogged, flogging. Informal senses depend on the country. In Australian and NZ slang «flog» can also be a mild insult for an annoying person — rude.