⚡ Quick Meaning
If something costs an arm and a leg, it is very expensive.
That new games console cost an arm and a leg, so I'm saving up.
It is only about money. Nobody really loses an arm or a leg.
🎭 Wait... Why an Arm and a Leg?
Think about how much you need your arms and legs. You use them to walk, to write, to play and to hug.
So if a price is "an arm and a leg", it is as if you are paying with something you really need. It is a big, big price.
The phrase uses a silly picture to say a serious thing: this costs far too much.
🎬 Picture the Situation
Leo sees a bike in a shop window. It has gold wheels and a tiny horn that plays music.
Then he sees the price tag. It is more than he and his whole family could save in a year.
"That bike must cost an arm and a leg," he says. He walks away with a sigh.
🗣️ Natural Examples
The tickets to the concert cost an arm and a leg.
I'd love to go on that school trip, but it costs an arm and a leg.
My cousin paid an arm and a leg for a pair of trainers.
Fixing the roof is going to cost us an arm and a leg.
Holidays in the school break can cost an arm and a leg.
💬 In a Conversation
Sam: How much was your new tablet?
Mia: An arm and a leg.
Sam: That much?
Mia: Yes. I typed the price into my calculator and it asked if I was sure.
Sam: Was it worth it?
Mia: Ask me when I've saved up again.
🧭 When Do You Use It?
Use it when:
- something you want to buy is very expensive
- a service or an event costs much more than you expected
- you are complaining, gently, about a big price
It is informal, so it suits chats with friends and family. In very formal writing, say very expensive.
You can use it in two ways: It costs an arm and a leg or I paid an arm and a leg for it.
👯 Similar Expressions
- cost a fortune: very expensive, and a little more neutral.
- break the bank: to cost more money than you have.
- pricey: a short, casual word for expensive.
The opposite is something cheap: It was a bargain, or it was a steal.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
It has to be expensive.
❌ The apple cost an arm and a leg, so I bought two.
✅ The new bike cost an arm and a leg, so I'm saving up.
Keep the small words.
❌ cost a arm and leg, cost an arm and the leg
✅ cost an arm and a leg
🕵️ Where Did It Come From?
Nobody knows for sure, but the history is clearer than you might think.
The phrase is American, and it appears after the Second World War. The earliest example found so far is in a US newspaper from December 1949, which said that a Christmas party didn't need to "cost her an arm and a leg".
Language experts think it grew out of two older expressions:
- "I would give my right arm for...", found in print in 1849.
- "If it takes a leg", found in a US newspaper in 1875.
Joining the two body parts together probably made a stronger picture.
You may hear a popular story that portrait painters charged more for pictures that showed arms and legs. There is no evidence for it, so treat it as a good story, not history.
💡 The OddLingo Trick
Picture a shop where the cashier points at your arm and your leg and says, "That will be everything, please."
You'd want to keep your arms and legs, so you'd put the item back. That is exactly what an expensive thing feels like.