the.com/choker
a necklace that whispers gentle threats, equal parts ribbon and warning label.
means A close-fitting necklace worn snugly around the neck, or more broadly anything or anyone that chokes — including, in sports slang, a competitor who fails under pressure.
from From the verb "choke," which comes from Old English "ācēocian," thought to be rooted in "cēoce," meaning the jaw or cheek — the very part of the throat a snug necklace hugs. The "-er" simply makes it the thing that does the choking. So the jewelry, the dog collar, and the nervous quarterback all share one ancestral squeeze.
- royal panic
- Victorians wore them to hide neck scars
- french terror
- Post-guillotine ribbons mimicked the executioner's red line
- ballet roots
- Degas painted dancers wearing black neck ribbons
- 90s revival
- Tattoo chokers defined a generation of teen rebellion
- sport sense
- Athletes who crumble under pressure share the name