stick neck out
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stick (one's) neck out
To personally assume or expose oneself to some risk, danger, or responsibility; to imperil oneself or put oneself in harm's way. Look, I'm sticking my neck out for you here. I could get fired if they find out what we're up to! You have to take some risks to be successful in business and in life, but don't stick your neck out for no good reason.
stick one's neck out (for someone or something)
Fig. to take a risk. Why should I stick my neck out to do something for her? What's she ever done for me? He made a risky investment. He stuck his neck out for the deal because he thought he could make some big money.
stick (one's) neck out
Informal To make oneself vulnerable; take a risk.
stick one's neck out, to
To take a bold risk; to ask for trouble. This early twentieth-century Americanism most likely comes from the barnyard, where a chicken extends its neck in preparation for slaughter (by decapitation). Raymond Chandler used it in The Black Mask (1936): “You sure stick your neck out all the time.”