stick one's neck out, to

stick one's neck out (for someone or something)

Fig. to take a risk. Why should I stick my neck out to do something for her? What's she ever done for me? He made a risky investment. He stuck his neck out for the deal because he thought he could make some big money.See also: neck, out, stick

stick one's neck out

Make oneself vulnerable, take a risk, as in I'm going to stick my neck out and ask for a raise. This expression probably alludes to a chicken extending its neck before being slaughtered. [Colloquial; early 1900s] See also: neck, out, stick

stick (one's) neck out

Informal To make oneself vulnerable; take a risk.See also: neck, out, stick

stick one's neck out, to

To take a bold risk; to ask for trouble. This early twentieth-century Americanism most likely comes from the barnyard, where a chicken extends its neck in preparation for slaughter (by decapitation). Raymond Chandler used it in The Black Mask (1936): “You sure stick your neck out all the time.”See also: neck, stick