Hogtie
Hogtying is a method of tying the limbs together, rendering the 'hogtied' immobile. Originally, it applied to pigs; now it can also be applied to human bondage and a method for subduing individuals sometimes employed by the police. It applies figuratively to an instance where a person has said or done something which has unpleasant consequences, and from which they are unable to escape.
A very nasty, and very lethal form of hogtie was and is used as a form of torture: The hands are tied behind the back and the feet are tied together, with one end of the rope around the victims neck. The tension of the legs pulling on the neckrope can only be lifted for a limited period of time by using the muscles in the back, breast and belly. When those muscles get tired, the victim strangles him/herself. This is sometimes referred to as the "Italian rope trick" and has been used by the Mafia.
