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10 Frequently Used Body Idioms with Their Meanings & Examples

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An idiom is a phrase or an expression that has a figurative, or sometimes literal, meaning. In this lesson, you will learn body idioms in English.

Body Idioms in English

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.

Body Idioms in English

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

Body Idioms in English

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Retep

Thursday 4th of March 2021

is there any way to print this?

Takshika

Wednesday 27th of December 2017

I knew most of them though I am not a native English Speaker. I was pretty shocked when I read the meaning of some idioms. It was kinda funny and at the same time nice. Nice work, though.... :)