One of my friends got in trouble with her dad once when we were in middle school. I have no idea what it was, but he gave her some hand shears and she had to cut the whole front yard. Granted it was only like 1/4 acre, but that's a shitload of shearing.
I got in trouble like that once as a kid...dad made me mow the entire yard with an old rusty rotary mower that probably hadn't been sharpened since I'd been born. Had to make three passes before you could tell it had been cut!