thrashing
n.— Note: Perhaps related to the British noun “thrash,” which means “a party.” «Evidence gathered from the social networking site led proctors at the university to collect five times as much money this year over last for a practice known as “thrashing,” which involves graduating students celebrating their accomplishment by covering one another in champagne, foam, eggs, flour and other substances, The Times of London reported Friday.» —“Fines spike after Oxford uses Facebook” in Oxford, England United Press International Apr. 18, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Astronauts returning from space say they experience what’s called the overview effect, a new understanding of the fragility of our planet and our need to reflect on what humans all share as a species. A book about the end of the universe...
Amid court-ordered busing in the 1970s, a middle-school teacher tried to distract her nervous students on the first day of class with this strange assignment: find a monarch caterpillar. The result? A memorable lesson in the miracle of metamorphosis...