Neck and crop

Origin of: Neck and crop

Neck and crop

Neck and crop means ‘completely, totally or comprehensively’ and dates from the 18th century. It was originally used to describe a comprehensive and spectacular fall from a horse where the unseated rider flies past the horse’s neck and throat, ‘crop’ being an archaic word for throat that remains in this expression and has nothing to do with crop as in a riding crop or whip. See also Come a cropper.