An instrument of torture, consisting of a board with holes into which the fingers were pressed, and fastened with pegs.
For an instrument of torture the pinnywinkle has a delightfully cheery name. Does it twinkle? Does it bring a smile to the lips of its victims by evoking memories of periwinkle colored Crayola crayons?
Maybe the name of this torture device helped contribute to its demise? It does not seem to have been in fashion these past several years, unless reports of its use were eclipsed in the media by waterboarding and humiliation.