mit gewaschenem Hals

German

Etymology

Literally, “with a washed neck”. From a well-known joke, in which a boy is told by his mother that he wash his neck because his aunt and uncle might visit, prompting the answer: “And if they don’t come after all? I’ll be standing there with my washed neck!”

The joke is said to be of Jewish origin. While one should beware of the tendency to ascribe Jewish origin to any joke that is or was current among Jews, in this case it is plausible as the train of thought appears rather typical of Jewish humour.

Adverb

mit gewaschenem Hals

1. (idiomatic, perhaps dated) finding oneself in an awkward situation, especially because one has done something in vain or relied on something that has not turned out

   Ich würde mich da nicht unnötig festlegen. Nachher stehst du da mit deinem gewaschenen Hals.

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Usage notes

• Usually construed with stehen or dastehen (as above).