kiss the gunner's daughter
To be flogged or beaten while restrained over a cannon.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The sailor feared he would have to kiss the gunner's daughter.”
“After the mutiny failed, the captain ordered the crew to kiss the gunner's daughter as punishment.”
“In the harsh days of the old navy, a sailor who broke the rules often found himself forced to kiss the gunner's daughter before the entire ship's company.”
- 01
betray with a kiss
To betray someone in a seemingly inconspicuous or innocuous manner.
- 02
blow a kiss
To kiss one's own hand, then blow on it in a direction towards the recipient.
- 03
bricks and Mortar
[Cockney slang]daughter
- 04
daughter of Eve
Any woman or girl; any female human.
- 05
gunner's daughter
The gun to which sailors were tied to be flogged.
- 06
hugs and kisses
An informal way to end a letter, email etc. to a loved one.
- 07
kiss and cry
The publicly viewable enclosure in which figure skaters sit immediately after a performance, while they await and receive the judging results.
- 08
kiss and make up
To settle one's differences and forgive.
Last updated August 10, 2026