10 Frequently Used Body Idioms with Their Meanings & Examples

1. Give your right arm (informal)

• Meaning: If you say that you would give the right arm to do or have something, you mean you would like it very much
• Example: I would give my right arm to meet the president.

2. Put your foot in it (Mainly the US, put your foot in your mouth – informal)

• Meaning: To say something by accident that embarrasses or upsets someone
• Example: I really put my foot in it with Alison. I had no idea she was divorced.

3. Pull somebody’s leg

• Meaning: To try to persuade someone to believe something that is not true as a joke
• Example: Is it really your car or are you pulling my leg?

4. Put your finger on sth

• Meaning: To discover the exact reason why a situation is the way it is, especially when something is wrong
• Example: There’s something odd about him, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

5. Come to a head (also bring sth to a head)

• Meaning: If something comes to a head or someone brings something to a head, a situation reaches a point where something must be done about it
• Example: Things hadn’t been good between us for a while and this incident just brought it to a head.

6. Go to somebody’s head

• Meaning 1: If something goes to someone’s head, it makes them think that they are very important and makes them a less pleasant person
• Example: Don’t let fame/ success go to your head.
• Meaning 2: If alcohol goes to your head, it makes you feel slightly drunk
• Example: Champagne always goes straight to my head.

7. Cost an arm and a leg/ a small fortune (UK – also cost a bomb/ the earth/ a packet)

• Meaning: To be extremely expensive
• Example: I’d love to buy a Rolls-Royce, but they cost an arm and a leg.

8. Find your feet

• Meaning: To become familiar with and confident in a new situation:
• Example: Did it take you long to find your feet when you started your new job?

9. Bury/ have your head in the sand

• Meaning: To refuse to think about unpleasant facts, although they will have an influence on your situation
• Example: You’ve got to face facts here – you can’t just bury your head in the sand.

10. Get sth off your chest

• Meaning: To tell someone about something that has been worrying you or making you feel guilty for a long time.
• Example: I had spent two months worrying about it and I was glad to get it off my chest.

Body Idioms | Image

Animal Idioms