scruff
(redirected from scruffing me)by the scruff of (one's)/its/the neck
By the back of the neck of a person or animal. My mom was so mad that she grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and hauled me into my room to be grounded. I had to yank the cat out from under the floorboards by the scruff of its neck. The boss took John by the scruff of his neck and warned him never to do something so foolish again.
scruff
1. verb, informal To seize (an animal) by the loose skin at the back of its neck. The dog just kept barking and barking until Dad finally scruffed him and put him out into the yard. The mama cat scruffed her whimpering kitten and carried it away.
2. verb, slang To handle or push around (someone) in a rough physical manner; to manhandle (someone). Primarily heard in Australia. The bartender scruffed the unruly patron and threw him out of the pub after he started shouting abuse at other customers.
3. noun, slang Stubble, as on a man's face. If I go a few days without shaving, my little girl always complains about my scratchy scruff. A: "I think you look good with a little scruff!" B: "Thanks. I think I finally look like I'm over 21, ha ha."
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
by the scruff of somebody’s/the ˈneck
(hold somebody or an animal) by the back of the neck: The barman took her by the scruff of the neck and threw her out.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
scruff(y)
(ˈskrəf(i)) mod. sloppy; unkempt. Why don’t you clean up this scruff car? It’s—like—grody!
scruff
verbSee scruffy
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.