If a friend complains that their new laptop or car repair will “cost an arm and a leg,” they are not describing a medical emergency. The idiom cost an arm and a leg means something is extremely expensive, far more costly than expected or reasonable. It is one of the most vivid and commonly used idioms in English for describing high prices.
What Does “Cost an Arm and a Leg” Mean?
This idiom describes a price that feels shockingly high, often implying the speaker thinks the cost is unfair or excessive. Comparing a price to losing an arm and a leg emphasizes just how painful and significant the expense feels, even though no actual body parts are involved. People use this phrase to complain, warn others, or simply express surprise about the price of goods, services, repairs, trips, or major purchases.
Because the imagery is so dramatic, the idiom instantly communicates strong feelings about cost without needing extra explanation, making it popular in everyday complaints and casual storytelling about spending money.
Example Sentences
- That designer handbag cost an arm and a leg, but she loves it.
- Fixing the car’s transmission ended up costing an arm and a leg.
- Flights during the holidays always cost an arm and a leg.
- He didn’t realize the concert tickets would cost an arm and a leg this year.
- Renovating the kitchen cost us an arm and a leg, but it was worth it.
Usage and Context
“Cost an arm and a leg” is informal and extremely common in everyday conversations about shopping, bills, travel, and major purchases. It fits naturally into casual chats, reviews, and even some lighthearted marketing or news writing about rising prices. The idiom works well whenever someone wants to express frustration, surprise, or disbelief about an unusually high cost, without sounding overly formal or technical. Because it is instantly recognizable, it appears frequently in blogs, social media, and spoken English worldwide. For more colorful idioms about money and everyday situations, Idioms Academy offers simple, friendly explanations for learners. Similar expressions, such as “break the bank” or “cost a fortune,” convey the same sense of shock at an unexpectedly steep price tag.
Where Does This Idiom Come From?
The exact origin of “cost an arm and a leg” is uncertain, though it is generally believed to have grown from the simple idea that losing a limb would be an enormous, devastating sacrifice, making it a natural exaggeration for describing an extremely high price. Some popular explanations connect the phrase to historical portrait painting, suggesting that portraits showing fewer limbs were cheaper than full-body paintings, though this theory lacks strong historical evidence and should be treated as folklore rather than fact. Whatever its true beginnings, the idiom’s power comes from comparing something as valuable and irreplaceable as a limb to the shock of an unreasonably high price.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Learners sometimes try to use only part of the idiom, saying simply “cost an arm” or “cost a leg,” which sounds incomplete and unnatural to native speakers; the full phrase always includes both body parts together. Another mistake is applying the idiom to small, everyday purchases that are only mildly expensive, since the phrase is reserved for genuinely shocking or painfully high prices rather than ordinary spending. It is also useful to remember that the idiom almost always follows a possessive pronoun or noun indicating who paid, such as “it cost me an arm and a leg” or “it cost them an arm and a leg,” rather than standing alone without context. Confusing this idiom with more neutral phrases like “a bit pricey” can also weaken its intended dramatic effect, so it works best when the speaker genuinely wants to emphasize strong surprise, frustration, or disbelief about an expense rather than mild inconvenience. Keeping the idiom reserved for these clearly expensive situations preserves its dramatic impact and prevents it from sounding exaggerated or out of place when describing ordinary, affordable purchases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “cost an arm and a leg” used for cheap items?
No, it specifically describes items or services that feel unusually expensive, not everyday affordable purchases. It emphasizes surprise or frustration about a high price.
Can “cost an arm and a leg” be used for services, not just products?
Yes, it applies equally well to services like repairs, medical bills, travel, or renovations, as long as the price feels unusually or uncomfortably high.
What is a similar idiom to “cost an arm and a leg”?
“Break the bank” carries a similar meaning, describing something so expensive that it strains someone’s budget or savings significantly.