Cost an Arm and a Leg
Meaning: To be very expensive.
If something “costs an arm and a leg,” it’s very expensive! One theory links the phrase to war amputees returning home after battle. Others think it’s just a colorful exaggeration. Either way, if someone says, “That designer bag costs an arm and a leg,” they mean it’s really pricey.
How to use it
Use it for prices that feel too high: rent, repairs, concert tickets, designer goods. It’s informal but fine in most everyday conversation. You can also say something “charges an arm and a leg” or that you “paid an arm and a leg.”
Examples
- Rent in this city costs an arm and a leg.
- Fixing the car will cost an arm and a leg, so I might just sell it.
- I paid an arm and a leg for these concert tickets.
A common mistake
The thing is the subject: It costs an arm and a leg, not “I cost an arm and a leg.” Keep both articles: “an arm and a leg,” not “arm and leg.”
Where it comes from
No one knows for sure. The phrase appeared in American English around the middle of the 1900s. A popular story says painters charged more to include arms and legs in portraits, but that story is a myth.
Say it out loud
Tabbi Daily gives you one short lesson like this every day. Listen, record yourself and hear how you sound. Free, no account needed.
Source: Grammar Monster