Idioms about parts of the body
a slap in the face
Meaning: If you describe something as a slap in the face, you mean that you feel it as an insult or a rejection.
achilles heel
Meaning: said about a strong situation which contains an element of vulnerability.
an arm and a leg
Meaning: a lot of money.
an eye for an eye
Meaning: said to suggest that punishment should equal the crime. At the root of this principle is that one of the purposes of the law is to provide equitable retribution for an offended party.
are your ears burning?
Meaning: said about someone who was not present but was the topic of discussion.
at hand
Meaning: The phrase at hand is an idiomatic expression that means nearby, or close by in time or in space.
at your mother’s knee
Meaning: said about something that you learned when you were a child.
back on ones feet
Meaning: The phrase back on one’s feet refers to recovering from an illness or from a problem.
be glad to see the back of someone
Meaning: To be happy to get rid of someone; to be happy because someone has left.
behind one’s back
Meaning: In one’s absence
big head
Meaning: to a conceited or arrogant person.
big mouth
Meaning: said about someone who tend to say things which are meant to be kept secret.
bite your lip
Meaning: to make an effort not to react to something.
bring to knees
Meaning: to destroy or defeat someone or something.
burn one’s fingers
Meaning: To burn one’s fingers means to suffer consequences of one’s actions. The expression is used especially in a financial context.
bury head in the sand
Meaning: If you bury your head in the sand, you avoid or try to avoid, a particularly problematic situation by pretending that it does not exist.
by the skin of one’s teeth
Meaning: The phrase by the skin of one’s teeth is an idiomatic expression that means just barely; by a narrow margin.
cannot stomach someone or something
Meaning: The phrase cannot stomach someone or something means not to be able to tolerate someone or something.
catch someone’s eye
Meaning: The phrase to catch someone’s eye means to get someone’s attention.
clear your throat
Meaning: If you clear your throat, you cough slightly so as to speak more clearly, attract attention, or to express hesitancy before speaking.
close shave
Meaning: If a situation is described as a close shave, it means that you came very close to a dangerous situation and you avoided it at the last minute.
come to a head
Meaning: The phrase come to a head is an idiomatic expression. It is used to indicate that a situation suddenly becomes worse.
cost a bomb
Meaning: The phrase cost a bomb is an idiomatic expression that refers to something that is extremely expensive.
cross one’s mind
Meaning: it occurs to one, especially transiently.
curl your lip
Meaning: an upward movement of the side of the mouth to show dislike and disrespect.
cut one’s throat
Meaning: The phrase to cut one’s throat or to cut one’s own throat means to bring about one’s own ruin and downfall.
dip your toe in the water
Meaning: said when you start something carefully because you are not sure whether it will work or not.
drag one’s feet
Meaning: To procrastinate, put off; to dawdle, avoid, or make progress slowly and reluctantly.
easy on the ear
Meaning: something (music, voice…) pleasant to listen to.
easy on the eye
Meaning: attractive, pleasant to look at.
eat your heart out
Meaning: The phrase eat your heart out is meant as a joke that you are even better than another person.
face the music
Meaning: Dealing with consequences of one’s actions; To accept judgment or punishment
fall on deaf ears
Meaning: Of a request, complaint, etc, to be ignored.
feast for the eyes
Meaning: visually pleasing sight.
feel it in one’s bones
Meaning: The phrase to feel something in one’s bones means to have an intuition or hunch about something or to have a strong conviction as a result of one’s own practical experience or instinct.
fly in the face of
Meaning: If an action flies in the face of conventions, it seems to be in direct opposition to them.
get in someone’s hair
Meaning: Annoy someone.
get off my back!
Meaning: The phrase get off my back is an idiomatic expression that means stop annoying or harassing me.
get something off your chest
Meaning: To reveal something that is worrying you or making you feel guilty in order to feel relieved.
give somebody a leg up
Meaning: to help someone to achieve something, especially at work.
give somebody the elbow
Meaning: The phrase to give somebody the elbow is an idiomatic expression that means to end a romantic relationship or a friendship with someone.
give someone the cold shoulder
Meaning: act hostile toward someone; to ignore, snub
give your eye teeth for something
Meaning: said when you want to have or do something very much.
go in one ear and out the other
Meaning: said about something which is heard and then quickly forgotten.
grease someone palm
Meaning: If you grease someone’s palm, you bribe them discretely.
hands are tied
Meaning: You are prevented from doing something. It is not within your power
have a chip on your shoulder
Meaning: The phrase to have a chip on one’s shoulder means to be be angry about something that happened sometimes in the past or to hold a grudge.
have a leg up on somebody
Meaning: to have an advantage over someone.
have big ears
Meaning: to be nosy and listen to other people’s private conversations.
head over heels
Meaning: completely in love.
heart of gold
Meaning: A person with a heart of gold is a person who is very kind and has a good nature.
hit the nail on the head
Meaning: To be absolutely correct (said of an utterance)
in a body
Meaning: said when a group of people do something together.
in front of one’s nose
Meaning: The phrase in front of one’s nose refers to something that is plain, clearly apparent, or obvious.
in the blink of an eye
Meaning: Quickly, seemingly instantaneously
keep a civil tongue
Meaning: to speak politely.
keep an eye on
Meaning: To keep an eye on something or someone is to watch it periodically, to keep it under surveillance.
keep body and soul together
Meaning: to be able to pay for your food, clothing and somewhere to live.
keep one’s eye open
Meaning: to remain alert and watchful.
keep one’s eyes peeled
Meaning: to be on the alert, to be watchful
keep your chin up
Meaning: The phrase keep your chin up is an idiomatic expression used to encourage someone who has to bear some difficult circumstances.
keep your head above water
Meaning: be just able to make enough money to survive.
knit one’s brow
Meaning: To frown or look worried, angry or puzzled.
lay something at the feet of someone
Meaning: If you lay something at the feet of someone, you make or hold someone, especially a group of people, responsible for something.
learn by heart
Meaning: to memorize something.
make a clean breast of
Meaning: to tell the truth; to confess.
make somebodys mouth water
Meaning: When the smell or sight of food is extremely good it makes your mouth water.
my gut tells me
Meaning: The phrase my gut tells me is an idiomatic expression that means my instincts tell me.
not bat an eyelid
Meaning: The phrase not bat an eyelid is an idiomatic expression that means to show no reaction or not to display even a hint of an emotional response.
not have a leg to stand on
Meaning: not have a sound justification, a firm foundation of facts to prove something.
on the face of it
Meaning: on the surface.
over my dead body
Meaning: Under no circumstances; absolutely not.
pain in the neck
Meaning: Someone or something making your life difficult
party hearty
Meaning: The phrase to party hearty means to have a good time; to celebrate.
pay lip service
Meaning: an insincere loyalty, respect, or support for something
poke one’s nose in
Meaning: to be nosy ; to interfere with something. It has the sense of intruding in another’s private life.
pull somebody’s leg
Meaning: to tease or fool someone when trying to convince them to believe something which is not true as a joke.
Pull the other leg
Meaning: used when you do not believe what someone has just said.
put a smile on someone’s face
Meaning: The phrase to put a smile on someone’s face is an idiomatic expression that means to please someone or make someone happy.
put neck on the line
Meaning: If you put your neck on the line, you do something risky.
put on a brave face
Meaning: to pretend that a problem doesn’t bother you.
put one’s heart into something
Meaning: The phrase to put one’s heart into something is an idiomatic expression that means to put all your energy and sincere effort into something; to work hard in order to do or get something.
put one’s mind to it
Meaning: To apply oneself; to exert a directed effort.
put one’s shoulder to the wheel
Meaning: to start hard work; to begin to toil.
put words in somebody’s mouth
Meaning: To attribute to somebody something he or she did not say; to claim inaccurately that somebody said or intended something.
rack one’s brain
Meaning: to think very hard about something.
raise eyebrows
Meaning: To cause surprise or mild disapproval.
save face
Meaning: To take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one’s reputation or honor.
scratch one’s head
Meaning: The phrase scratch one’s head is an idiomatic expression that means to think hard or wonder about something.
send shivers down someone’s spine
Meaning: to terrify; to make someone feel extremely nervous.
shake a leg
Meaning: used to tell someone to rouse themselves from sleep and get out of bed.
shiver down one’s spine
Meaning: The phrase a shiver down one’s spine is an idiomatic expression that refers to a feeling of fear excitement, nervousness or anticipation.
shoulder to cry on
Meaning: said about a person someone to whom you can tell your problems to and then ask for sympathy, emotional support and advice.
skin and bones
Meaning: to be underweight and look bad, to be extremely thin.
skin someone alive
Meaning: to punish someone severely.
soaked to the bone
Meaning: The phrase to be soaked to the bone means to be completely wet or drenched.
stiff upper lip
Meaning: One who has a stiff upper lip displays fortitude in the face of adversity, or exercises self-restraint in the expression of emotion.
take it on the chin
Meaning: Be attacked; suffer an attack
take something or someone at face value
Meaning: you accept that they are as they seem without looking for a hidden meaning or ulterior motives.
take the bit between one’s teeth
Meaning: to take charge.
tear your hair out
Meaning: said when you are feeling a lot of anxiety over a problem.
thumbs down
Meaning: The phrase thumbs downis an idiomatic expression that indicates rejection, disapproval or failure.
thumbs up
Meaning: The phrase thumbs upis an idiomatic expression that indicates satisfaction or approval.
to wash one’s hands of
Meaning: to absolve oneself of responsibility or future blame for.
turn one’s back on
Meaning: To turn one’s back on may also mean to abandon or forsake.
under one’s nose
Meaning: directly in front of one; clearly visible
under one’s thumb
Meaning: completely controlled by someone; at someone’s command.
wag one’s chin
Meaning: to talk.
wait on someone hand and foot
Meaning: to serve someone well, satisfying all personal needs.
watch one’s mouth
Meaning: to be careful about what one says, especially with regard to disrespectful or profane language.
weak at the knees
Meaning: If you are weak at the knees, you are affected by a strong emotion and you feel as if are going to fall down.
yoke around someone’s neck
Meaning: a burden.