Meaning & use
arm and leg
Last updated
Meaning
phraseidiominformalfigurative
A very large amount of money, used to complain that something costs far too much.
Grammar: Normally appears as an arm and a leg after cost, charge, pay or spend, not as a standalone noun.
Patterns
- cost an arm and a leg
- pay an arm and a leg for something
Concert tickets cost an arm and a leg these days.
The mechanic charged us an arm and a leg for a simple repair.
We would have to pay an arm and a leg for a flat that close to the station.
Common combinations
- cost an arm and a leg
- That designer coat costs an arm and a leg.
- charge an arm and a leg
- Hotels near the stadium charge an arm and a leg on match days.
- pay an arm and a leg
- Parents often pay an arm and a leg for school trips.
- worth an arm and a leg
- The old guitar might be worth an arm and a leg someday.
Synonyms and how they differ
- a fortune
- It is neutral and can be positive or negative, while an arm and a leg always complains about price.
- a small fortune
- It is slightly more formal and describes a large sum, without the humorous exaggeration of an arm and a leg.
- a pretty penny
- It is a more old-fashioned way to say something costs a lot, with a similar playful tone.
Opposites
Word family
- arm noun
- the limb between shoulder and hand
- leg noun
- the limb used for walking
- pay through the nose phrase
- a related idiom for paying too much
Commonly confused: arm and leg or pay through the nose?
arm and leg vs pay through the nose
Both idioms mean paying too much, but pay through the nose describes the payer, while cost an arm and a leg describes the price.
Practice
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Choose one answer.
Cost an arm and a leg means to be extremely expensive, which fits the first sentence. The second is literal and the others do not use the idiom as a price complaint.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “arm and leg”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.