feel someone's collar

English

Etymology

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

Verb

feel 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)

  1. (British, informal, idiomatic) To arrest someone.
    If you carry on like that, the law will soon be feeling your collar.

Usage notes

  • Very commonly found in passive voice. John had his collar felt yesterday.