keel haul

Verb

keelhaul (third-person singular simple present keelhauls, present participle keelhauling, simple past and past participle keelhauled)

1. (transitive) To punish by dragging under the keel of a ship with the intent of causing painful injuries.
   • March 11 [1667].—Hermans Jans, boatswain; disobedience of orders and stabbing his captain; sentenced to be degraded to common seaman, to be thrice keelhauled, to be well flogged, to have the knife stuck through his hand, and to forfeit, pro fisco, 6 months' wages.1838, D[onald] Moodie, comp., transl. and ed., “Abstract of Criminal Convictions before the Court of Justice, Cape of Good Hope.—1662–1672.”, in The Record; or, A Series of Official Papers Relative...
2. (transitive) To rebuke harshly.
   • I've done these inquiries myself, Col. The top people can always put up such a bloody fine brick wall for themselves that no outsider has a chance of getting over or seeing through. But the same wall may stop some nonentity making his getaway, and he's the one the inquiry keelhauls.1988, Bill James, Protection, London: Constable & Co., →ISBN