by the scruff of someone's neck
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by the scruff of the neck — by the scruff of the/someone’s/neck phrase by the back of the neck He grabbed the boy by the scruff of his neck. Thesaurus: instances of touching, holding and physical contactsynonym Main entry: scruff * * * … Useful english dictionary
scruff — [skrʌf] n [Date: 1700 1800; Origin: scuff back of the neck (18 19 centuries), perhaps from Old Norse skoft hair of the head ] 1.) by the scruff of the neck if you hold a person or animal by the scruff of their neck, you hold the skin, fur, or… … Dictionary of contemporary English
scruff — [ skrʌf ] noun count BRITISH INFORMAL someone who looks messy and dirty by the scruff of the/someone s neck by the back of the neck … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
The Shima Brothers — Tenchi Muyo! character Profile Age 1000+ years (all) The Shima Brothers are a fictional trio of villains in the Tenchi Muyo! franchise, featured in Hitoshi Okuda s No Need for Tenchi! and The All New Tenchi Muyo! … Wikipedia
neck — [[t]ne̱k[/t]] ♦♦♦ necks, necking, necked 1) N COUNT: usu poss N Your neck is the part of your body which joins your head to the rest of your body. She threw her arms round his neck and hugged him warmly... He was short and stocky, and had a thick … English dictionary
scruff — UK [skrʌf] / US noun [countable] Word forms scruff : singular scruff plural scruffs British informal someone who looks untidy and dirty • by the scruff of the/someone s neck by the back of the neck He grabbed the boy by the scruff of his neck … English dictionary
scruff — 1. noun a) Someone with an untidy appearance That candidate will never get the job, hes a right scruff. b) (Also scruff of the neck) The skin at the back of the neck, the back of the neck, nape. He grabbed his unruly kid by the scruff of the neck … Wiktionary
scruff — [[t]skrʌ̱f[/t]] PHRASE: v n PHR If someone takes you by the scruff of the neck, they take hold of the back of your neck or collar suddenly and roughly. He picked the dog up by the scruff of the neck and hurled her down the stairs … English dictionary
scruff — noun 1 by the scruff of the neck if you hold a person or animal by the scruff of their neck, you hold the flesh, fur, or clothes at the back of the neck 2 (C) BrE informal someone who looks untidy or dirty … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
scruff — I. /skrʌf / (say skruf) noun 1. the nape or back of the neck. –verb (t) 2. to seize and hold (a calf) for branding or castrating, without the use of a rope. 3. to subject (someone) to a physical assault. {variant of dialect scuft, from Dutch… …
