Origin of Phrases - T
The Third Degree
Meaning: Lengthy and pointed questioning.
Example: When I come home late my wife gives me the third degree.
Origin: "The third degree" evokes images of lengthy police interrogation under bright lights, rubber hoses, and without the benefits of counsel. It's believed that the phrase comes from the Masonic organization. When someone advances to the third degree - referred to as Master Mason - there is a careful examination of their qualifications. In 1904, the New York Times was the first to apply the expression to police tactics: "He was at first arrested merely as a suspicious person, but when put through the 'third degree' at the station admitted that he entered the house last night."
Additionally, it is more physically challenging that the first two degrees. The term has come to be used for any long an arduous questioning or interrogation.