neck and neck
to be level in a race or competition
TRANSLATION
neck and neck = Kopf-an-Kopf --- GOOGLE INDEX neck and neck: approximately 3,500,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
The pair had been NECK AND NECK until the final stages of the race when Stanford, who is part of the Leeds-based training group that includes the Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee, pulled ahead.
(BBC NEWS)
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Quite incredibly, disgraced former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is nearly NECK AND NECK with the leading rival for this month's general election.
(Irish Independent)
(BBC NEWS)
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Quite incredibly, disgraced former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is nearly NECK AND NECK with the leading rival for this month's general election.
(Irish Independent)
Did you
know?
neck and neck
idiom
- if two competitors are neck and neck, they are level with each other and have an equal chance of winning
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
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The world of sports is a very common source for a wide range of phrases, idioms and expressions, nearly all of which of course relate to competition in one way or another. The expression "neck and neck" stems from horse racing and can be traced back to the early 19th century. It is based on the idea of horses running at the same speed with their heads and necks to each other. The German equivalent of this idiom translates to "head to head."
Body parts, like the neck and head, are also a rich source of expressive phrases. Below are several other examples of how to use your neck and head in everyday conversations:
— to be up to your neck in something = to be very busy (I can't talk right now. I'm up to my neck in work!)
— to breathe down someone's neck = to keep close watch on someone; to watch someone's activities intently (I can't get anything done with someone breathing down my neck all the time)
— stick your neck out = take a risk (That's the last time I'm sticking my neck out for you)
— give a heads up = to give someone information or a warning (I'll give you heads up when the systems is back on line)
- off the top of the head = without giving something much thought or with little knowledge (Off the top of my head, I'd say we will be ready to launch the product by the end of the month)
- hide your head in the sand = to refuse to think about something unpleasant or difficult (We won't solve the problem by hiding our heads in the sand)
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SYNONYMS
close, equal, even-steven, level, nip and tuck, tied
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"We are neck and neck with Region South to reach the best sales figures ever."
idiom
- if two competitors are neck and neck, they are level with each other and have an equal chance of winning
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
---
The world of sports is a very common source for a wide range of phrases, idioms and expressions, nearly all of which of course relate to competition in one way or another. The expression "neck and neck" stems from horse racing and can be traced back to the early 19th century. It is based on the idea of horses running at the same speed with their heads and necks to each other. The German equivalent of this idiom translates to "head to head."
Body parts, like the neck and head, are also a rich source of expressive phrases. Below are several other examples of how to use your neck and head in everyday conversations:
— to be up to your neck in something = to be very busy (I can't talk right now. I'm up to my neck in work!)
— to breathe down someone's neck = to keep close watch on someone; to watch someone's activities intently (I can't get anything done with someone breathing down my neck all the time)
— stick your neck out = take a risk (That's the last time I'm sticking my neck out for you)
— give a heads up = to give someone information or a warning (I'll give you heads up when the systems is back on line)
- off the top of the head = without giving something much thought or with little knowledge (Off the top of my head, I'd say we will be ready to launch the product by the end of the month)
- hide your head in the sand = to refuse to think about something unpleasant or difficult (We won't solve the problem by hiding our heads in the sand)
---
SYNONYMS
close, equal, even-steven, level, nip and tuck, tied
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"We are neck and neck with Region South to reach the best sales figures ever."
