vapulate

To continue on the theme of love week, here's another word you may recognise as a feature of long-term relationships:

vapulate vt to flog - vi to be flogged n vapulation a flogging. [Origin from Latin vapulare, -atum to be flogged.] Chambers, 1998

Am thinking along the lines of a strictly metaphorical vapulation by the way. This isn't that kind of blog.