Third degree

[nq:1]In old movies I occasionally hear of someone getting 'the third degree' ... What does "the third degree" refer to?[/nq]
I have always taken it as a comparison of the interrogation with burns.
Mark Brader, Toronto "Remember the Golgafrinchans" (Email Removed) Pete Granger

[nq:2]In old movies I occasionally hear of someone getting 'the third degree' ... What does "the third degree" refer to?[/nq]
[nq:1]I have always taken it as a comparison of the interrogation with burns.[/nq]
FWIW, from http://www.wordorigins.org/wordort.htm
Third Degree

In our last episode,
,
the lovely and talented Mekon
broadcast on alt.usage.english:
[nq:1]In old movies I occasionally hear of someone getting 'the third degree' (even after pleading 'the fifth' ). What does "the third degree" refer to? Does anyone ever just get the first two?[/nq]
Masons do.
The examination for the third degree of Masonry is said to be much tougher than

[nq:2]In old movies I occasionally hear of someone getting 'the ... refer to? Does anyone ever just get the first two?[/nq]
[nq:1]Masons do. The examination for the third degree of Masonry is said to be much tougher than those for the other degrees. So putting many difficult questions to a person is giving him the third degree.[/nq]
There's no examination in the understood sense. There's a

[nq:1]In old movies I occasionally hear of someone getting 'the third degree' (even after pleading 'the fifth' ). What does "the third degree" refer to? Does anyone ever just get the first two?[/nq]
The first degree is intended for Fifth Columnists . The second degree is reserved for members of the Fourth Estate. Trust me, I have a sixth sense about these things.
I've recently been thinki

[nq:1]There's no examination in the understood sense. There's a ceremony and, as you can see by the example here http://www.totse.com/en/conspiracy/secret ... degree' in the sense of interrogation includes, iMHO, an element of violence and the masonic link is, I believe, erroneous.[/

[nq:1]There's no examination in the understood sense. There's a ceremony and, as you can see by the example here http://www.totse.com/en/conspiracy/secret societies/165167.html the candidate has little to say except 'yes' 'amen' and to repeat after the top guy a bunch of oaths.[/nq]

[nq:2]I have always taken it as a comparison of the interrogation with burns.[/nq]
[nq:1]FWIW, from http://www.wordorigins.org/wordort.htm Third Degree The third degree, thanks to old Hollywood cops and robbers movies, is now synonymous with ... doubt helped along by association

[nq:2]I have always taken it as a comparison of the interrogation with burns.[/nq]
[nq:1]FWIW, from http://www.wordorigins.org/wordort.htm Third Degree The third degree, thanks to old Hollywood cops and robbers movies, is now synonymous with ... counsel. But where did this phrase

[nq:1]In old movies I occasionally hear of someone getting 'the third degree' (even after pleading 'the fifth' ). What does "the third degree" refer to? Does anyone ever just get the first two? Mekon[/nq]
Since I posted the question, a friend has refered me to her old SOED (3rd edition) Which says (inter alia) :
"An American authority declared that an officer of the law administers the fi