E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Collar.
Against the collar. Somewhat fatiguing. When a horse travels up-hill the collar distresses his neck, so foot-travellers often find the last mile or so “against the collar,” or distressing. Authors of long books often find the last few pages wearisome and against the grain.
1
In collar. In harness. The allusion is to a horse’s collar, which is put on when about to go to work.
2
Out of collar. Out of work, out of place. (See above.)
3
To slip the collar. To escape from restraint; to draw back from a task begun.
4
To work up to the collar. To work tooth and nail; not to shirk the work in hand. A horse that lets his collar lie loose on his neck without bearing on it does not draw the vehicle at all, but leaves another to do the real work.
5
“As regarded himself, the path lay plain. He must work up to the collar, hot and hard, leaving himself no time to feel the parts that were galled and wrung.”—Mrs. Edwardes: A Girton Girl, chap. iv.
