Cost an arm and a leg
Channel: English Unpacked
Date: 22/01/2024

The idiom "cost an arm and a leg" is used to express that something is very expensive or comes at a high price. It is a figurative expression and does not literally mean that you have to give up body parts to obtain something. Instead, it emphasizes the idea that the cost of something is exorbitant or unaffordable.
Here are a few examples to illustrate the usage of this idiom:
1. "I would love to buy that designer handbag, but it costs an arm and a leg." In this sentence, the speaker is expressing that the handbag is very expensive and beyond their budget.
2. "My car broke down, and repairing it is going to cost an arm and a leg." Here, the person is saying that the cost of fixing their car is extremely high.
3. "We wanted to go on a vacation to Hawaii, but the flights and accommodation would have cost an arm and a leg." This sentence demonstrates that the expense of the trip was too high for the speaker to afford.
4. "She really wanted to attend that conference, but the registration fees were going to cost her an arm and a leg." In this example, the person expresses that the cost of attending the conference was unreasonably high.
Overall, the idiom "cost an arm and a leg" is a colorful way to describe something that is excessively expensive. It is frequently used in everyday conversations to convey the idea of high costs without being taken literally.