Geoffrey:
Unlike Jenny, I would use spank as a singular noun. I would not use spanking as a singular noun like spank or smack.
I always have difficulty with the following expression (or similar) "He gave her another xxxx with the tawse/whip/belt etc, indeed anything other than the hand which is spank or smack or cane which is stroke.
Cane--stroke.
Tawse--???
Whip---lash?
Slipper--???
Paddle--???
Any suggestions?
I personally use stroke or stripe for the description of a caning or a ruler or a riding crop. For a tawse I suppose I use more descriptive words like 'thwhack' and try to describe the sound of it, I try not to be someone who uses 'spank, spank, spank' in my fiction but that's just me - my first reason for writing is for me - so I write the way I write for my own benefit . As is said
'You do you.'
I suppose another way to describe a spanking is talking about impacts and the effect on the area being spanked.
My last point is just to say that growing up in working class SE London i was asked 'if i wanted a smack?' or 'you're you going the right way about getting a smack'. Also in the 70's smacks were sometimes called 'slaps' eg getting your legs slapped - my mother's favourite punishment for me. i am tall and have been since i was 11 so i suppose there was just a lot of thigh to slap!
I suppose smack could be a noun a smack or a verb (adverb?- i don't know ) to smack or getting a smacking/ more usual where i grew up for it to be talked about getting your bottom smacked or a smacked bum.
At times i really struggle to find ways to describe spanking scenes - see above.
anyway bfn
pim
PS i still live in England
PPS I forgot about getting the tease being talked about getting belted or getting the strap, to describe getting chastised with a belt, tawse, strop, leather reins i have heard f used. As an adult i must admit to getting the strap a few times for breaking the rules in the very early days of me and Himself - over 18 years now. After a short while we worked out that me having rules was a bad idea, without them i didn't do any of the 'offences' i did when i had the rules in place.!