IdiomTopic: money

cost an arm and a leg

/ˌkɒst ən ˈɑːm ən ə ˈleɡ/INFORMAL · C1

Meaning

to be very expensive

Examples

1The replacement screen cost an arm and a leg, so I kept the cracked one.
2Hiring a private tutor can cost an arm and a leg over a school year.
3I would buy that jacket, but it costs an arm and a leg at full price.
4Why should a short taxi ride cost an arm and a leg when the bus costs two pounds?
5The repairs cost an arm and a leg; our entire holiday fund went on the invoice.

Grammar

The verb changes tense; the two indefinite articles and singular body-part nouns stay fixed.

Similar in meaning

pay through the nose break the bank

More idioms about money

All 20 idioms and the topic quiz →

tighten your beltto spend less money than before make ends meetto have just enough money to live on save for a rainy dayto keep money for future problems in the redowing money or losing money in the blackhaving more income than expenses a cash cowa reliable source of profit

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