"Punch in the neck"

[Jonathan Lighter]

New to me.

Remember "knuckle sandwich"?

JL


On Sun, May 25, 2014 at 4:10 PM, Jim Parish <jparish at siue.edu> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jim Parish <jparish at SIUE.EDU>
> Subject:      "Punch in the neck"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> In my youth, the favored expression of (mock-)serious violence involved
> a threat to punch someone in the *nose*. Lately, though, it seems as
> though the *neck* is now the favorite target. Does anyone know anything
> about this change - when, where, why? It seems very recent to me, but of
> course the Illusion of Recency needs to be guarded against. (Why the
> *neck*? Surely the nose is a much more reachable and - when struck -
> satisfying target?)
>
> Jim Parish
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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