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.

by the scruff of somebody’s/the ˈneck (hold somebody or an animal) by the back of the neck: The barman took her by the scruff of the neck and threw her out.

The meaning of SCRUFF is the back of the neck : nape. How to use scruff in a sentence.

(Definition of by the scruff of the/your neck from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

What does the idiom 'Take By The Scruff Of The Neck' mean? With a clear, concise definition and usage examples, discover this idiom's meaning and usage in the English language.

• One had hold of the other by the scruff of the neck and had fetched blood. • Three were dragged back on to the train and taken by the scruff of the neck from station to police car.

the nape of the neck (esp in the phrase by the scruff of the neck) Etymology: 18th Century: variant of scuft, perhaps from Old Norse skoft hair; related to Old High German scuft

You can use "Take by the scruff of the neck" to describe a situation where someone firmly grabs another person by the back of their neck or collar. It implies taking control or asserting authority over someone.

In a moment of frustration, he felt like someone had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and shaken him awake. This term is often used to refer to the area of loose skin found on the neck of some …

roughly holding the back of an animal's or person's neck She grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and threw him out. Definition of scruff noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, …