feel someone's collar

verb

To arrest someone.

“If you carry on like that, the law will soon be feeling your collar.”

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Meanings

verbfeel someone's collar (third-person singular simple present feels someone's collar, present participle feeling someone's collar, simple past and past participle felt someone's collar)

present singular third person feels someone's collar · participle present feeling someone's collar · participle past felt someone's collar · past felt someone's collar

  1. UKidiomaticinformalTo arrest someone.

    If you carry on like that, the law will soon be feeling your collar.

Origin

From the image of an arresting police officer holding a suspect by the collar.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

feel someone's collar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feel%20someone's%20collar

MLA

“feel someone's collar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feel%20someone's%20collar. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “feel someone's collar,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feel%20someone's%20collar.

Source: feel someone's collar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.