Etymology

trip to the woodshed

Today it means: An occasion on which a reprimand or punishment is administered privately. Full definition →

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The story

Probably derived from the previous term "horseshedding," meaning to take a person privately (such as to a horse shed or woodshed, separate buildings away from the house) for private cajoling or reprimand.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.