hem up

English

Verb

hem up (third-person singular simple present hems up, present participle hemming up, simple past and past participle hemmed up)

1. (transitive, informal) To restrain (a person) by grabbing their collar.
   • 2006, Kali James, Can U Get Away?, page 17:

     Taking him home she hemmed him up soon as they stepped in the door. Now Tony was a bad dude in the streets but when it came to his mama, he was a punk. A few cuss words on her part had him spilling everything.

   • 2014, Tiffany Bolado, The Legacy of Misperception, page 89:

     Felicia and Jorge remained inside, observing in horror. Carlos hastily went to where his brother was and grabbed him with all his might. He placed him in a choke-hold and hemmed him up on the brick wall.

2. (transitive, slang) To arrest or lock up.

   The last thing you want is to get hemmed up in prison.