We know what these things are today; the iron teeth are our necessities, the thumbscrews are the high-powered and swift machinery close to which we must work, and the rack is here in the firetrap structures that will destroy us the minute they catch on fire. ❋ Jewish Women's Archive (1911)
We know what these things are today: the iron teeth are our necessities, the thumbscrews are the high-powered and swift machinery close to which we must work, and the rack is here in the firetrap structures that will destroy us the minute they catch fire. ❋ Cole (2009)
The Warder shows us some instrooments of tortur, such as thumbscrews, throat-collars, etc., statin that these was conkered from the Spanish ❋ Various (N/A)
Then some freeper or one of the trolls on TP will probably top that by calling for red-hot irons, lacerating hooks, thumbscrews, the rack, and the wheel to be used on suspected terrorist prisoners. ❋ Unknown (2010)
When all those keys were going full blast, with the thumbscrews all the way open, the cacophony of sound made it hard to hear clearly any one telegraph key vs its neighbors. ❋ Frank A. Weil (2011)
Bloody Mary was renowned for torturing Protestants, and "silver bells" was a nickname for the thumbscrews, while "cockleshells" were believed to be instruments of torture attached to the genitals. ❋ Unknown (2011)
On the top of the armature are thumbscrews which regulate the width of the gap which manages the sound of the signals generated by closing the gap. ❋ Frank A. Weil (2011)
And while we are at it we can bring back the rack, thumbscrews, flaying and the Iron Maiden. ❋ Unknown (2010)
When the gap is narrow - with the thumbscrews down tight - the sound is reduced. ❋ Frank A. Weil (2011)
It was quite fun to do, although I get the feeling Mr Litlove felt he would rather endure thumbscrews if that should prove to be an alternative. ❋ Unknown (2009)
No, years of accepted practice state that the admission that you attended Harvard must be dragged out of you, painfully, with thumbscrews. ❋ Alexandra Petri (2010)
Perhaps we need to look for 21st century equivalents of thumbscrews to be used regularly to keep the noisy challenges we deal with in check so we can at least hear each other talk in civil voices. ❋ Frank A. Weil (2011)
As a species we have matured, grown away from crucificion, breaking on the rack, burning at the stake, the thumbscrews and the Iron Maiden. ❋ Dungeekin (2009)
In order to better enable each operator to hear/use his/her key - frequently twice a day - the supervisor of telegraph rooms would yell out "Turn down your thumbscrews!" ❋ Frank A. Weil (2011)
When the gap is wide open - with the thumbscrews fully open - the sound is louder. ❋ Frank A. Weil (2011)
1: After the [thumbscrew] was applied to the [cookie monster], he confessed to taking all my cookies.
2: "If you insert your thumb in an [orfice] then you are thumbscrewing." ❋ Argonak (2008)
[Hilltop] Henry X had four of his wives thumbscrewed for cheating on him. He then put them [on the rack]. The [thumbscrew] was Hilltop Henry X's favorite pre torture device. ❋ Solid Mantis (2017)
