Street
put the arm on
What does put the arm on mean?
To 'put the arm on' someone is to demand money from them by pressure or intimidation.
"The collectors put the arm on every business behind on payments."
Origin
American underworld slang, 20th century.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'put the arm on' mean?
To pressure or intimidate someone into handing over money, in other words to extort or shake them down.
Can 'put the arm on' mean asking for a favour?
Loosely, yes. It can be softened to mean leaning on someone for a loan or a favour, but the core underworld sense is coercive money-collection.
Where is the phrase from?
It is 20th-century American underworld slang associated with debt collection, protection rackets and extortion.
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