pain in the neck
an annoying and irritating person
TRANSLATION
pain in the neck = eine Nervensäge (woerterbuch.info) --- GOOGLE INDEX pain in the neck: approximately 700,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Demanding customers may be a PAIN IN THE NECK but they are also vital if a nation is to compete in the global market.
(www.freemarketfoundation.com)
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Q: What's it like to be kissed by a vampire?
A: It's a pain in the neck!
(www.freemarketfoundation.com)
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Q: What's it like to be kissed by a vampire?
A: It's a pain in the neck!
Did you
know?
pain in the neck
idiom
- someone or something that is very annoying
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
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WORD ORIGIN
Pain in the neck is a polite form of the expressions "pain in the arse" (British, Australian) and "pain in the ass" (U.S.). The two latter forms, which are considered offensive, are first recorded around 1900.
If one believes the news, there are many things that can literally be a pain in the neck, meaning they can cause physical pain in the neck area. This includes high heels, bras, school bags, bifocal eyeglasses, gardening, talking on the phone, commuting by train and last but not least, laptop and desktop computers.
If you're reading this with hunched shoulders and a craned neck, your so-called "computer slump" might one day lead to what some physical therapists call "postural syndrome." Posture is the way in which people position their bodies. Postural syndrome creates repetitive stress to the neck and thoracic spine, which consists of the 12 vertebrae in the mid-back and chest area. Doctors and physical therapists say that this stress targets the fourth, fifth and sixth discs in the thoracic spine, leading to muscle tenderness, stiffness, or in some cases, nerve irritation.
Most office workers and ergonomic specialists are familiar with the dangers of repetitive motions with a mouse and keyboard at the PC all day, resulting in weakened wrists, tennis elbow or, worse, carpal tunnel syndrome. But some physical therapists say that complaints of pains in the mid- to upper back and neck are just as common.
(source: CNN news)
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SYNONYMS
(pain)
aggravation, annoyance, bore, bother, discomfort, drag, effort, exertion, infliction, irritation, plague, prickle, nuisance, pest, spur, torment, trouble, vexation
(idioms)
pain in the butt, thorn in the side
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SMUGGLE OWAD INTO TODAY'S CONVERSATION:
"We have done everything to satisfy this customer, but she keeps on complaining. She's becoming a pain in the neck!"
idiom
- someone or something that is very annoying
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
---
WORD ORIGIN
Pain in the neck is a polite form of the expressions "pain in the arse" (British, Australian) and "pain in the ass" (U.S.). The two latter forms, which are considered offensive, are first recorded around 1900.
If one believes the news, there are many things that can literally be a pain in the neck, meaning they can cause physical pain in the neck area. This includes high heels, bras, school bags, bifocal eyeglasses, gardening, talking on the phone, commuting by train and last but not least, laptop and desktop computers.
If you're reading this with hunched shoulders and a craned neck, your so-called "computer slump" might one day lead to what some physical therapists call "postural syndrome." Posture is the way in which people position their bodies. Postural syndrome creates repetitive stress to the neck and thoracic spine, which consists of the 12 vertebrae in the mid-back and chest area. Doctors and physical therapists say that this stress targets the fourth, fifth and sixth discs in the thoracic spine, leading to muscle tenderness, stiffness, or in some cases, nerve irritation.
Most office workers and ergonomic specialists are familiar with the dangers of repetitive motions with a mouse and keyboard at the PC all day, resulting in weakened wrists, tennis elbow or, worse, carpal tunnel syndrome. But some physical therapists say that complaints of pains in the mid- to upper back and neck are just as common.
(source: CNN news)
---
SYNONYMS
(pain)
aggravation, annoyance, bore, bother, discomfort, drag, effort, exertion, infliction, irritation, plague, prickle, nuisance, pest, spur, torment, trouble, vexation
(idioms)
pain in the butt, thorn in the side
---
SMUGGLE OWAD INTO TODAY'S CONVERSATION:
"We have done everything to satisfy this customer, but she keeps on complaining. She's becoming a pain in the neck!"
