I’ve come across this phrase twice today, and it’s got me scratching my head. I assume it’s a negative thing, but I’ve never heard of it, and must confess I don’t really understand what it’s supposed to symbolize.
The only thing I’d do with a woodshed is chop wood and toss it under the roof. Does someone somewhere construct them with walls? All I’ve ever seen is four corners and a roof.
My thesaurus searches have turned up bupkiss, obviously…
I was under the impression that in the “good old days” a misbehaving kid would be taken to the woodshed to be whipped. I can’t figure out why the woodshed, though.
I suppose because that’s where one would find “switches,” the long thin sticks used for such whippings. Also, so the horrible screams wouldn’t disturb others in the house.
Musicians use this term to refer to focused sessions of practice.
as in, whipping it into shape…
Whip it, whip it good.
The music usage makes sense, too. (And I didn’t really want to bring up the horrible scream part of it.) I thought switches were cut from trees just prior to the punishment, often by the punishee themselves. Heck, there are parents who still do this. Not mine, thank Og.
Musicians go to woodsheds because the neighbors don’t always want to hear the same eight bars ninety-two times. Not to mention the musician cussing as he muffs the same lick ninety-one times.
The OED cites woodshed as a place for punishment from 1907.
The usage as a place where musicians practice is cited from the mid-'30’s. It was also used as a verb in that sense by early musicians such as Louis Armstrong.
“Woodshedding” among barbershoppers refers to informal singing not done in front of an audience. The premise is that we’re all out where nobody will come along and hear the clunkers.