Expressions with body parts: Neck.

It is very common in English and of course also in Spanish, the use of colloquial expressions containing body parts or other words such as colours (to be green with envy), food (be a piece of cake) or animals (packed in like sardines).

Learning some of the most widely used will help us not only to understand the natives when they speak, but also to improve our fluency in conversations in English.

No matter much grammar and vocabulary we know, in real life, natives use many expressions that do not follow specific rules, so we must learn them as they are. This does not mean that our theoretical knowledge is not useful to us, but that we must complement it with these idioms, since they are an important part of the language used in everyday life.

In previous articles we have given examples of expressions with body parts such as "head" or "leg". On this occasion we will give you phrases and vocabulary with the word "neck".

"Neck" can be translated as "cuello". But we also have other translations with this word or containing this word: The back of the neck is "nuca", a neck warmer is a "buff", a polo neck jumper would be "jersey de cuello alto", a V-neck, "cuello de pico", and to have a stiff neck, "tener tortícolis"...

They also have expressions with this word, like for example:

1. To risk your neck. To do something dangerous in order to achieve something. To take a big chance.
Digging through the chief's files is wrong. You're risking your neck.

2. To save your neck. To do what you can to prevent something bad from happening to someone.
You saved my neck when that box fell down!

3. To be up to your neck in something. To be involved very deeply in something.
Apparently the chairman of the party was up to his neck in a corruption case.

4. To be a pain in the neck. To be annoying.
My little brother is a pain in the neck.

5. To get it in the neck. To be punished for doing something you are not supposed to do.
If your sister finds out you've been reading her diary, you'll get it in the neck.

6. Neck and neck. When two competitors are so close, that it's difficult to say which one will win.
The two runners are neck and neck, we don't know who will win.

7. In my (this) neck of the woods. In the area where I live.
Thank goodness people don't leave litter in my neck of the woods.

8. To break your neck. To make an effort, especially by hurrying, in order to do something.
I'm going to break my neck to get there, they're always late.

9. To breathe down someone’s neck. To be insistent about someone.
I'll never finish if you keep breathing down my neck.

10. To be up to your neck in work. To have a lot of work to do.
I can't come for a coffee. I'm up to my neck in work.

From Lewolang we encourage you to learn these idiomatic expressions and to try to use them when you express yourself in English. If you know any other interesting meanings of the word "neck" or any other expressions, don't hesitate to put them in the comments.