frog's-march

Definition

Noun (chiefly British): A method of carrying a person, typically a prisoner, face down, with one person holding each limb (arm or leg), so that the person is carried horizontally and unable to resist.

Usage Examples

• (They carried him face down with four people holding his limbs.)
• (The prisoner was transported in this restraining manner.)

Advanced Usage

• "to give someone a frog's-march": to carry or move someone in this manner.
  • The bouncers gave the drunk man a frog's-march out of the club. (They carried him out face down by his limbs.)

Variants and Related Words

• Frog-march (verb): to carry someone in the manner of a frog's-march.
  • They frog-marched the suspect to the police van. (They carried him face down by his arms and legs.)

Synonyms

• Carry-out: a forceful removal of a person.
• Forced removal: the act of taking someone away against their will.

Phrasal Verbs

• Frog-march out: to remove someone forcibly by carrying them face down.
  • The security team frog-marched the heckler out of the auditorium. (They carried him out by his limbs.)

Related Idioms

• To be carried out feet first: to be removed from a place involuntarily, often by force (similar in concept to a frog's-march).
  • If he doesn't leave quietly, he'll be carried out feet first. (He will be forcibly removed.)