Stripped the skin off something, or criticized someone very harshly.
From Old English flean (to flay), related to Old Norse flá. The literal meaning (removing skin) dates back over 1,000 years; the figurative meaning (harsh criticism) developed from this graphic image.
In medieval Latin texts, 'flayed' was used metaphorically for harsh criticism so often that it became the dominant meaning in modern English, showing how horror images get converted into abstract concepts over centuries.
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