Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also get it behind the ear, ...in the back, ...collar button) to be punished severely, to suffer badly, to be harshly criticized.

1878–9		A. Garcia Tough Trip Through Paradise (1977) 66: If anything happened, Beaver Tom was going to get it in the neck first.
1889		News-Courant (Cottonwood Falls, KS) 12 Sept. 2/3: ‘Pistol Johnny got it in the neck, ’n’ his head jest hung on by a strip o’ skin’.
1895		E. Townsend Chimmie Fadden Explains 69: If de owner knowed he’d been blowin off wine on de wrong star he’d get it where de giraffe got de sore troat – in de neck.
1902		Ade Girl Proposition 128: Something tells me that this is another Time when I get it in the Collar-Button.
1903		A. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise 169: The fat and greasy citizens of Belgium [...] are getting it — largely ‘in the neck’, it may be added.
1904		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 7 Sept. 3/4: Sometimes the bad man gets it in the neck.
1916		J. Buchan Greenmantle (1930) 276: ‘We’ve got it in the neck this time, old man,’ I said to Peter.
1925		J. Tully Beggars of Life 145: The good guys always get it in the neck.
1925		Wodehouse Carry on, Jeeves 57: I was the lad who was scheduled to get it behind the ear.
1932		J. Dixon Free To Love 26: If you or anybody else expects me to roll by and see Dad get it in the back, you got me wrong.
1934		Dundee Courier 10 Mar. 7/4: Few of them are ready to raise their voices [...] in case they should cop it in the neck for being so bold as to interfere.
1936		‘Banjo’ Paterson Shearer’s Colt 92: If we invite the wrong chappies to Government House, why, yours truly gets it in the neck.
1941		F. Swados House of Fury (1959) 113: If anyone gets it in the neck it’ll be Mis’ Dulcy, not us.
1950		A. Buckeridge Jennings Goes To School 176: That form’s going to get it in the neck.
1953		I. Hamilton Till Human Voices Wake Us 74: You’ll waste away and die, and they’ll [i.e. prison authorities] get it in the neck as a result.
1960		C. Hooper Brief Authority 191: It’s only when a kaffer’s cheeky he gets it in the neck.
1961		Mad mag. Jan. 30: We’re gonna get it right in the neck!
1977		L. Heinemann Close Quarters (1987) 240: All I could think was: the poor seven-six gets it in the neck again.
1990		J. Healy Streets Above Us (1991) 59: Now we need a body to take a plea. Or we’re going to get it ourselves ... in the neck.
2000		Hip-Hop Connection Jan./Feb. 26: And, as ever, the media cop it in the neck.

2. (orig. US, also get it in the guts) to be killed or badly wounded.

1895		Life (NY) 17 Oct. n.p.: Fellers! De gang has lost its pup! He scrapped wid a bull tarrier an’ got it in de neck.
1900		A.H. Lewis ‘Mulberry Mary’ in Sandburrs 11: I’m only Mollie d’ Dope [...] an’ if I gets it in d’ neck it don’t count, see!
1914		C.J. Dennis ‘The Play’ in Bulletin (Sydney) 16 July 47/1: Mick Curio, ’e gets it in the neck, / ‘Ar rats!’ ’e sez, an’ passes in ’is check.
1922		A. Christie Secret Adversary (1955) 169: But I wish to God I’d been the one to get it in the neck.
1923		Kipling ‘The Janeites’ in Debits and Credits (1926) 166: We copped it. In the neck.
1930		M. Allingham Mystery Mile (1982) 350: Poor old St. Swithin got it in the neck.
1947		D. Davin For the Rest of Our Lives 116: You know poor old Mac got it in the guts to-day. They think he’ll pull through all right.
1999		Guardian G2 8 Oct. 18: You were strongly reminded of those primitive Triassic cattle who were about to get it in the neck from the dinosaurs.