| E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898. |
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To fight with a rope round one’s neck. To fight with a certainty of being hanged unless you conquer. | 1 |
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“You must send in a large force; … for, as he fights with a rope round his neck, he will struggle to the last.”—Kingston: The Three Admirals, viii. |
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To give one rope enough. To permit a person to continue in wrong-doing, till he reaps the consequences. | 2 |
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