Pain in the neck

Hello and welcome to The English We Speak from BBC Learning English, I’m Neil.

And I’m Helen.

Helen, you look upset, what’s the matter? Have I done something wrong?

Oh, it’s not you. It’s my mobile phone company. I stopped my contract three months ago and they are still taking money out of my bank account. And it’s impossible to get through to customer service.

Oh, no, I know what you mean. These mobile phone companies are a nightmare to deal with. They are a real pain in the neck.

Pain in your neck? Are you OK? You don’t look so comfortable sitting in that chair? Is your neck hurting you?

I’m alright. My neck is a bit stiff but ok. When people say pain in the neck, it means something or someone is annoying, actually very annoying for a long time. Here are a few more examples:

Examples
Sam is so disruptive in the class, he’s a pain in the neck to deal with.

Completing this tax form is a real pain in the neck, there are so many boxes to fill in.

The telesales people are a real pain in the neck, they keep ringing me.

Well, I am really really really annoyed by this mobile phone company. They are a real pain in the neck to deal with.

My suggestion is that if they are still taking money out of your account, threaten them with legal action Helen.

I will do that. Thanks for the tip.

You’re welcome.