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If You Don’t Chance Your Arm, You Won’t Break Your Neck

The expression If you don’t chance your arm, you won’t break your neck makes use of the sense of break your neck meaning “to go all out.” The break your neck part may refer to having success from giving all your effort. Chance your arm, meaning “risk your arm,” may have originated in Ireland. In fact, one story about its possible origin involves St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. This is part of a complete episode.

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