wring withers

with·ers

[with-erz]
noun ( used with a plural verb )
1.
the highest part of the back at the base of the neck of a horse, cow, sheep, etc. See diag. under dog, horse.
2.
wring one's withers, to cause one anxiety or trouble: The long involved lawsuit is wringing his withers.

Origin:
1535–45; origin uncertain

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World English Dictionary
withers (ˈwɪðəz) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
pl n
the highest part of the back of a horse, behind the neck between the shoulders
 
[C16: short for widersones, from widerwith + -sones, perhaps variant of sinew; related to German Widerrist, Old English withre resistance]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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00:10
Wring withers is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

withers
1580, probably from a dialectal survival of O.E. wiðer "against, contrary, opposite" (see with) + plural suffix. Possibly so called because the withers are the parts of the animal that oppose the load. Cf. Ger. Widerrist "withers," from wider "against" + Rist "wrist."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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