English idiom · informal · spoken · BrE & AmE
cost an arm and a leg: meaning and examples
cost an arm and a leg means be extremely expensive.
La forma más habitual lleva «cost» y un objeto: «It cost me an arm and a leg». Es una exageración informal.
شکل رایج آن با «cost» و مفعول میآید: «It cost me an arm and a leg». این یک اغراق غیررسمی است.
Meist steht die Wendung mit „cost“ und einem Objekt: „It cost me an arm and a leg“. Sie ist eine informelle Übertreibung.
La forme courante utilise « cost » avec un complément : « It cost me an arm and a leg ». C’est une exagération informelle.
Memory hook: The price feels so high that money is not enough — you must give up two body parts.
How to use “cost an arm and a leg”
- That new phone costs an arm and a leg.
- The repairs cost us an arm and a leg.
- You don’t need a camera that costs an arm and a leg.
Common mistake: Cost is irregular: cost–cost–cost. Say “It cost me an arm and a leg”, not “It costed me”.
Learn it in context
This expression belongs to Lesson 3, where you can compare it with other idioms about money and practise it interactively.
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