Body Idioms: Idioms are phrases or statements with a symbolic, non-literal meaning attached to them; yet, some phrases can become figurative idioms while keeping their literal meaning.
Idioms with body parts are used to convey ideas in both American and British English and are known as body idioms. These expressions often have nothing to do with the body, but the idioms easily portray these thoughts.
Idioms are essential since they allow you to express yourself in unique and imaginative ways. When learning a language, especially for communication, it is beneficial to incorporate idioms because they help us sound fluent and familiar.
They’re also the quickest way to convey some expressions for which no other words exist. In this article on idioms in English, we will learn the idioms of body parts with meaning and the body idioms examples, which will help improve our idioms vocabulary.
Enrich your Vocabulary by practicing the English Idioms that are commonly used in everyday conversations and understand their actual meaning.
Name of Body Idioms
List of Body Idioms
- To keep at arm’s length
- In over one’s head
- Have one’s head in the clouds
- Thick in the head
- Head over heels
- Off the top of my head
- Head start
- To pick someone’s brain
- See eye to eye
- A sight for sore eyes
- Eye-catching
- Keep an eye on
- Look down your nose
- All ears
- Play something by ear
- On the tip of my tongue
- Sweet tooth
- Like pulling teeth
- (By the) skin of one’s teeth
- (My) lips are sealed
- Keep your chin up
- Let one’s hair down
- To cost an arm and a leg
- To stick one’s neck out
- Get something off one’s chest
- Give someone a hand (with something)
- Cold shoulder
- Cry your heart out
- Learn by heart
- Rule of thumb
- Long arm of the law
- Wash one’s hand of something
- Old hand
- Elbow room
- Break a leg
- Cold feet
- Itchy feet
- (My) flesh and blood
- Makes my blood boil
- Neck of the woods
- Over my dead body
- Pat on the back
- Pull one’s leg
Meaning and Explanation of a Few Commonly Used Body Idioms
To keep at arm’s length
Meaning: To avoid being connected to someone or something.
Example: I did not trust the guy, so I kept him at arm’s length.
In over one’s head
Meaning: Taking on a task that one cannot handle.
Example: I was in over my head when I agreed to complete all the presentations by the weekend.
Have one’s head in the clouds
Meaning: Be unaware or unrealistic about something.
Example: Steve always has his head in the clouds. He does not care about any of his father’s problems.
Thick in the head
Meaning: Not very intelligent.
Example: I’m a little thick in the head when it comes to studying mathematics.
Head over heels
Meaning: Deeply in love.
Example: The couple has been married for 25 years and is still head over heels for each other.
Off the top of my head
Meaning: Information offered quickly, without research or calculation.
Example: I remember we had our submissions the last Saturday, Off the top of my head.
Head start
Meaning: An earlier start.
Example: The kids gave Martha a head start in the bicycle race because she was the youngest of them all.
To pick someone’s brain
Meaning: To talk with someone to find out information about something from them.
Example: Lisa is very good at literature, so I picked her brain about our essay homework.
See eye to eye
Meaning: Agree on something.
Example: The business partners don’t see eye to eye on any of the issues.
A sight for sore eyes
Meaning: Be very happy to see someone or something.
Example: After the long wait, the food came, and it was a sight for sore eyes.
Eye-catching
Meaning: To catch your attention.
Example: All the dresses in the store are very eye-catching.
Keep an eye on
Meaning: Take care of, have a watch in order to protect.
Example: I’ll keep an eye on the barbeque while you prepare the sauces.
Look down your nose
Meaning: To think of yourself as better or more important than someone else.
Example: He looks down his nose at all his employees, and hence no one likes him.
All ears
Meaning: To give someone their full attention.
Example: Once I am done with my assignments, I’ll be all ears to hear about your day.
Play something by ear
Meaning: Do something without a plan.
Example: We don’t know if this is the correct way to the restaurant. We will have to play it by ear.
On the tip of my tongue
Meaning: To be almost able to remember or express.
Example: The name of the monument was on the tip of my tongue, but I needed to ask the guide.
Sweet tooth
Meaning: To have a taste or extreme liking for sweet food.
Example: I have a sweet tooth, and so I like different types of chocolates and candies
Like pulling teeth
Meaning: To be very difficult.
Example: Getting Jimmy to drink milk is like pulling teeth.
(By the) skin of one’s teeth
Meaning: Just barely.
Example: I passed my science exam by the skin of my teeth.
(My) lips are sealed
Meaning: Promise to keep a secret.
Example: I won’t tell your mother about the broken vase. My lips are sealed.
Keep your chin up
Meaning: To try to stay positive when things seem negative.
Example: Keep your chin up! I’m sure you’ll make some friends in your new school soon.
Let one’s hair down
Meaning: Relax, have fun.
Example: Go on the trip and let your hair down this weekend.
To cost an arm and a leg
Meaning: To be very expensive.
Example: The bags by Gucci costs an arm and a leg!
To stick one’s neck out
Meaning: To take a risk with possible bad consequences for oneself.
Example: I stuck my neck out with the television I bought. I hope it will be working well.
Get something off one’s chest
Meaning: To tell someone your problems or frustrations.
Example: I needed you to listen to my problem to get it off my chest.
Give someone a hand (with something)
Meaning: To help someone.
Example: Jennifer has raised her children to give a hand for cleaning up after the meals.
Cold shoulder
Meaning: To ignore someone intentionally.
Example: I believed she liked me, but she gave me the cold shoulder the next day.
Cry your heart out
Meaning: Cry very hard
Example: She cried her heart out when she had to leave for Australia for higher studies.
Learn by heart
Meaning: Memorize.
Example: One needs to learn the multiplication tables by heart to be good at maths in the coming years.
Rule of thumb
Meaning: Basic rule or principle.
Example: A good rule of thumb while cooking is to add the ingredients when the water starts to boil.
Long arm of the law
Meaning: Describes how efficient the law system can be.
Example: The CEO was caught by the police for money laundering. He could not escape the long arm of the law.
Wash one’s hand of something
Meaning: Stop dealing with an issue or problem.
Example: I’m washing my hands of the leakage problem of the house. We need to call the plumber as soon as possible.
Old hand
Meaning: To have lots of experience.
Example: The surgeon in this hospital has an old hand in treating accident injuries.
Elbow room
Meaning: To be very crowded.
Example: I do not like to travel in the morning buses; there is hardly any elbow room.
Break a leg
Meaning: Good luck.
Example: Break a leg in today’s interview you have prepared really hard for this day.
Cold feet
Meaning: Nervous just before a big event.
Example: I got cold feet right before the presentation at the meeting.
Itchy feet
Meaning: To move around a lot.
Example: She has itchy feet and wants to travel in the holidays.
(My) flesh and blood
Meaning: Relative.
Example: No one understands me like my mother; after all, she’s my own flesh and blood.
Makes my blood boil
Meaning: To make someone very angry.
Example: It makes my blood boil when people mistreat animals.
Neck of the woods
Meaning: Nearby location or area where one lives
Example: I got to know that they might be opening a new school in our neck of the woods soon.
Over my dead body
Meaning: Not unless I’m dead and can’t stop you anymore.
Example: My daughter is considering getting a tattoo. Over my dead body, I told her she’d get one.
Pat on the back
Meaning: Recognition or a thank you.
Example: The students deserve a pat on the back for the farewell they organised.
Pull one’s leg
Meaning: Joke or tease someone.
Example: Jackson was pulling Sean’s leg and convinced him that he lost the car keys.
English Grammar Notes present on our website covers popular grammar points using simple explanations, examples with answers and makes your practice easier.