choir
n.— «Britain’s first convicted war criminal was sentenced to a year in prison and dismissed from the army Monday in connection with the death of an Iraqi hotel worker. The victim died of asphyxia after being held in stress positions for two days in sweltering heat. Cpl. Donald Payne specialized in a practice called “the choir,” in which he kicked or punched a group of detainees, trying to make their shrieks of pain sound like a song.» —“Related developments” Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota) Apr. 30, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
What kind of book do people ask for most often in prison? Romance novels? No. The Bible? No. The most requested books by far are … dictionaries! A number of volunteer organizations gather and distribute used dictionaries to help inmates with...
Twice a day the River Thames recedes, revealing a muddy shoreline. Hobbyists known as mudlarks stroll the surface searching for objects that have found their way into the river over the centuries, everything from ancient Roman jewelry to modern...