Wikipedia Sentence of the Year

Running the gauntlet:

"There was also a naval version, on deck, stopped from rushing by the
master-at-arms with a cutlass and pushed forward by a corporal, notably for
minor theft (hated by the shipmates) in the Royal navy, using rope yarns that
were plaited into so-called knittles (a word for a string; possibly
sound-associated with nettles), looking like an improvised mini-version of the
cat o' nine tails (of which formal scourger the culprit got an excruciating
dozen lashes in advance, guaranteeing any further hit to hurt his lacerated back
badly), which was also used –even with knots, worsening the sting- on severe
theft charges but then immobilizing them by ropes."