Spank the Plank:

 

Modern Idiom

Spank the Plank means to play the guitar. Particularly in reference to "Rock and Roll".
To spank is to hit the bottom (normally of a child) repeatedly with the open palm of the hand as a form of punishment.
A plank is a long flat piece of wood used for carpentry and in the making of floors and wooden boats.
If we imagine a person spanking a plank it conjures up a vivid metaphor of a rock and roller playing the guitar.
For example: I would like to spank the plank like Jimmi Hendrix or Eric Clapton.

Transcript:
Hi there. To spank the plank. OK, this is a nice idiom. OK. It means to play the guitar. OK. To spank, to hit with your open hand. If a child is bad, sometimes the parents will smack, or spank the child. So spank. And then a plank is a long flat piece of wood. So, to spank the plank, to play the guitar. OK. Thanks for watching. See you in another video soon. Bye for now.
Click here to return to Vocabulary A-Z