Ball and chain

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For other uses, see Ball and Chain (disambiguation).

Ball and chain is a phrase that can refer to either the actual restraint device that was used to slow down prisoners, or a derogatory description of a person's significant other. The restraint device consists of a heavy, solid, metal ball, attached to a chain, which is shackled to the leg. The restraint device is no longer used in developed countries today, but was reported to be a standard in Sing Sing prison until the 1920s.

The expression, "Ball and Chain," may also be used as a term to describe a flail.

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