Idioms about Heel Thumb Neck Leg Shoulder: Idioms are a variety of figurative language which adds character and dynamism to otherwise slat writing. Body idioms have gained popularity in the English language, and they are used in various ways to add an underlying meaning to the words.
There are various idioms with neck, thumb, leg, as well as idioms with shoulder, which we all use in our daily lives. In this article, we have designed a list of English idioms related to body parts, which will make your understanding and use of the language even better.
Enrich your Vocabulary by practicing the English Idioms that are commonly used in everyday conversations and understand their actual meaning.
Name of Heel, Thumb, Neck, Leg and Shoulder Idioms
List of Heel, Thumb, Neck, Leg and Shoulder Idioms
- Achilles’ heel
- Cool Your Heels
- Hot on the Heels (of)
- (Fall) Head Over Heels
- Drag One’s feet (or Heels)
- Dig heels in
- All Thumbs
- Thumb a ride
- Thumbs-Up
- Thumb one’s nose at someone or something
- Rule of thumb
- Stuck out like a sore thumb
- Under somebody’s thumb
- Neck of the Woods
- Neck and Neck
- Pain in the neck
- Stiff-Necked
- Break (one’s) neck
- Dead Neck
- Be breathing down (one’s) neck
- Wring (one’s) neck
- Have the neck to do something
- Up to One’s Neck
- Pencil neck
- Stick (one’s) neck out
- Twist someone’s arm
- A call to arms
- A shot in the arm
- Keep Someone at Arm’s Length
- Cost an arm and a leg
- Arm Candy
- Arm in arm
- Arm up
- Arm-twister
- Bear arms
- Fling (one’s) arms up
- Longarm
- Belly Laugh
- Fire in the Belly
- Air (one’s) belly
- Swill-belly
- Belly out
- Have a yellow belly
- Have a Chip on One’s Shoulder
- A weight off your shoulders
- To Give Someone the Cold Shoulder
- The Story Has Legs
- To Pull Someone’s Leg
- Walk on eggshells
- A lie has no legs
- Break a Leg
- A leg in the door
- A Leg Up
- A leg to stand on
Meaning And Examples Of Some Commonly Used Heel, Thumb, Neck, Leg And Shoulder Idioms
Achilles’ heel
Meaning: A vulnerable spot or weak point in an individual or system which could result in their or its failure.
Example: The badminton player has a fantastic serve, but her returns were not so good, and that could prove to be her Achilles heel.
Cool Your Heels
Meaning: Wait or waiting for someone so that the person gets bored or impatient.
Example: Sanjay’s girlfriend kept him cooling his heels at the coffee shop for almost two hours.
Hot on the Heels (of)
Meaning: Arriving or happening very closely behind something or someone.
Example: When the cops were hot on the heels of the thief, they found out that there had been another robbery.
(Fall) Head Over Heels
Meaning: Someone feeling deeply and suddenly in love with someone.
Example: My sister was head over heels in love with her boyfriend; her eyes sparkled when she saw him.
Drag One’s feet (or Heels)
Meaning: One delay doing something or do it exceptionally slowly as one does not want to do it.
Example: My mother’s health is not good, and she needs to see a doctor, but she is dragging her feet.
Dig heels in
Meaning: To be resolute and firm about something.
Example: The teacher was digging heels about conducting a quiz competition in the school, even though all her colleagues did not favour it.
All Thumbs
Meaning: That an individual is clumsy.
Example: My sister dropped my father’s fine crystal glass as he handed it to her, proving once again that she is all thumbs.
Thumb a ride
Meaning: To hitchhike
Example: I didn’t have any money for transport last night, so I had to thumb a ride home.
Thumbs-Up
Meaning: This action or phase means that one gives someone or something their approval.
Example: On hearing about our project idea, the professor smiled and gave us a thumbs-up which gave us a lot of confidence with the plan.
Thumb one’s nose at someone or something
Meaning: To openly showcase display or an intentional respect lack towards something or someone.
Example: Don’t thumb your nose in front of the teacher if you save yourself from punishment.
Rule of thumb
Meaning: A procedure of judging any condition or situation that is not accurate but based on experience.
Example: During our hiking trip last year, we drank a bottle of water every three hours as a thumb of rule.
Stuck out like a sore thumb
Meaning: To be very obviously different from the surrounding things or people.
Example: He looked like a convict from the detective movies, trying so hard to go unnoticed that he stuck out like a sore thumb.
Under somebody’s thumb
Meaning: Under someone’s authoritarian control or constantly forced to submit to someone else’s will.
Example: Marie and John seemed really happy when they were out and about, but I hear John is under his wife’s thumb at home.
Neck of the Woods
Meaning: The area or place where an individual lives.
Example: There is ample to see and do for outdoor lovers in this neck of the woods.
Neck and Neck
Meaning: When two people or things are similar or close that it’s impossible to who’s winning or better.
Example: The two applicants who applied for the job today are neck and neck as their qualifications are similar and outstanding.
Pain in the neck
Meaning: Something or someone that makes one’s life difficult.
Example: Mrs Anderson is a sweet person, but she can sometimes be a pain in the neck when she is not in a good mood.
Stiff-Necked
Meaning: Some who is so proud and unwilling to do what other individuals want.
Example: Mr Kapoor is a stiff-necked individual, which is why he often is disliked by many people.
Break (one’s) neck
Meaning: Putting forth a great effort or deal.
Example: Don’t break your neck trying to please him – it is not worth it.
Dead neck
Meaning: An individual who is regarded as stupid or dumb.
Example: When I realised that he has been fooling me all this time, I felt like a dead neck.
Be breathing down (one’s) neck.
Meaning: To monitor one closely, generally in an irritating and overbearing way.
Example: The teacher is constantly breathing down my neck about this assignment – as if that will make me finish it sooner.
Wring (one’s) neck
Meaning: To strangle an individual.
Example: She warned him that she would wring his neck if he ever behaved with her like that again.
Have the neck to do something
Meaning: Having the will to do something daring, bold or impudent.
Example: I am really proud of you for having the neck to pursue all your dreams.
Up to One’s Neck
Meaning: Deeply affected by or involved in.
Example: I apologise for not being able to make it to the party; I was up to my neck in office work.
Pencil neck
Meaning: An individual who is particularly meek, weak or unimpressive.
Example: I’m not taking any order from pencil necks as you mate.
Stick (one’s) neck out
Meaning: To personally expose or assume oneself to some risk, responsibility or danger.
Example: Look, she’s sticking her neck out for you – she could get fired if the authorities find out what you two are up to.
Twist someone’s arm
Meaning: To persuade or coerce someone.
Example: She didn’t want to go out last night, but he twisted her arm.
A call to arms
Meaning: A strong inducement or command for action, especially among a specific group of people.
Example: The activist used the award show as a call to arms for women in today’s world to demand equal pay and representation.
A shot in the arm
Meaning: Something that reinvigorates, revitalises, or encourages something or someone.
Example: The boss’s unexpected praising definitely gave my previously struggling project a shot in the arm.
Keep Someone at Arm’s Length
Meaning: Keep distance from somebody or something.
Example: Karan always had the gut feeling that Nina was keeping him at arm’s length for some reason.
Cost an arm and a leg
Meaning: Something that costs a fortune
Example: The house cost an arm and a leg – it’ll take him ages to pay back the home loan.
Arm Candy
Meaning: A younger attractive individual who accompanies a generally older individual at social events.
Example: The businessman who recently was divorced showed up at the business meeting with his arm candy.
Arm in arm
Meaning: People who are hooked or linked together by the arms.
Example: The husband and wife walked arm in arm into the reception hall after their wedding.
Arm up
Meaning: To accumulate, provide or take up weapons – preparing for war or fighting.
Example: All the army officers are given the training to arm up in case of foreign invasions.
Arm-twister
Meaning: An individual who pressures or forces a person into doing something.
Example: She immediately agreed to come to tonight’s party – I didn’t even need to be an arm-twister.
Bear arms
Meaning: To possess any weapons.
Example: We must be careful when dealing with the crowd; some people could be bearing arms.
Fling (one’s) arms up.
Meaning: To jerk or toss one’s arms upwards, generally to convey some emotion.
Example: I can’t hear what they are arguing about, but I just saw mom fling her arms up in the air – that’s not a good sign.
Longarm
Meaning: The far-fetching, broad power of influence of something or someone.
Example: The long arm of the law and justice out the rapist in jail, where he belonged.
Belly Laugh
Meaning: It is a loud and unrestrained laugh.
Example: The movies directed by this director always gives me a belly laugh.
Fire in the Belly
Meaning: Someone who has a strong determination of succeeding.
Example: I think the main reason why the team did not win the match is that none of them had a fire in their belly.
Air (one’s) belly
Meaning: To vomit.
Example: When my brother had the flu, he spent most of his time airing his belly.
Swill belly
Meaning: An individual who drinks alcohol excessively or habitually.
Example: Only a swill belly is going to drink alcohol as much as John does.
Belly out
Meaning: When the fabric flares out in the wind.
Example: The sails on the ship bellied out in the early morning breeze.
Have a yellow belly
Meaning: Tending to act in a cowardly manner
Example: Of course, Sybil didn’t raise her voice against him – she has such a yellow belly.
Have a Chip on One’s Shoulder
Meaning: To have an unpleasant or angry attitude or behaviour.
Example: She was not very appreciated or cared for as a child, and she has a chip on her shoulder about her upbringing.
A weight off your shoulders
Meaning: When one doesn’t need to worry about something or deal with someone/something difficult.
Example: Talking to you helped me take a weight off my shoulder – now I feel good about myself.
To Give Someone the Cold Shoulder
Meaning: Expressing dismissal or the act of disregarding someone.
Example: She gave Maria the cold shoulder after she found out that Maria betrayed her behind her back.
The Story Has Legs
Meaning: When a story has legs, it will continue or be successful.
Example: The journalist was sure that the story had legs, and she wanted to tell the story on her news channel.
To Pull Someone’s Leg
Meaning: To lie playfully with someone.
Example: I panicked when he told me the test was due tomorrow, but then I realised he was pulling my leg.
Walk on eggshells
Meaning: To be careful about what one says or does.
Example: My mother is in a terrible mood – you should walk on eggshells around her.
A lie has no legs
Meaning: Used since a lie has nothing to support it, it can be easily recognised and is unsustainable.
Example: You will never get away with a lie – a lie has no legs.
Break a Leg
Meaning: Usually used (by actors) for wishing good luck before their performances.
Example: “Break a leg”, shouted my girlfriend from the audience as I stepped on the stage for my first performance.
A leg in the door
Meaning: The chance or opportunity to do something which could lead to further opportunities.
Example: An internship sounds like a good idea – it’s a great way of getting a leg in the door in the sector.
A Leg Up
Meaning: Giving someone an advantage over others.
Example: Your coding skills will give you a leg up in the IT market.
A leg to stand on
Meaning: Defence, proof or support for an argument or position.
Example: She has not been to work in over three months, so she doesn’t have a leg to stand on when she is calling him out for not being present during the teacher’s day show.