Wind your neck back in

Origin of: Wind your neck back in

Wind your neck back in

This expression can mean slightly different things depending on the context – from not to rubberneck or stare, to not to take a risk (the opposite of stick one’s neck out) or to calm down, and sometimes even to shut up and stop talking. It is generally thought to be of American origin from the mid-20th century, but Eric Partridge gives it as RAF slang from the 1930s.