Wring your neck

Posted by ESC on July 12, 2003

In Reply to: Help posted by puk on July 12, 2003

: "I would have never expected...going to ring his nect..can't even believe...he just got up and walked out."

: Please help me with that "ring his neck", what does it mean?

: Thank you.

It's "wring his neck." Wring is pronounced the same as ring.

From Merriam-Webster online (see 3a):

Main Entry: wring
Pronunciation: 'ri[ng]
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): wrung /'r&[ng]/; wring·ing /'ri[ng]-i[ng]/
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English wringan; akin to Old High German ringan to struggle, Lithuanian rengtis to bend down, Old English wyrgan to strangle -- more at WORRY
Date: before 12th century
transitive senses
1 : to squeeze or twist especially so as to make dry or to extract moisture or liquid
2 : to extract or obtain by or as if by twisting and compressing
3 a : to twist so as to strain or sprain into a distorted shape b : to twist together (clasped hands) as a sign of anguish
4 : to affect painfully as if by wringing : TORMENT
intransitive senses : SQUIRM, WRITHE
- wring noun

People wring chicken's necks to kill them. Gruesome. That's why I'm a vegetarian.