What does the phrase an arm and a leg mean?

What does the phrase an arm and a leg mean?

Definition of an arm and a leg informal. : a very large amount of money It’s a reliable car, and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Where did the phrase show a leg come from?

Show a leg originated in the British Royal Navy around the turn of the 19th century. Sailors were roused from their hammocks by the call “Show (or shew) a leg”. The appearance of a leg indicated that the mariner was awake and ready to rise.

Where did the phrase don’t have a leg to stand on come from?

Origin. British English form the late 16th century. It seems that this idiom first made reference to chairs and stools. Each time a leg was taken off the stool it would provide less support to the person sitting on it.

What does give an inch take a mile mean?

said to mean that if you do a small favour for someone, they will become greedy and ask you to do bigger and bigger favours for them and make you regret doing the first favour. Be tough and uncompromising – if you give colleagues an inch, they will take a mile.

What is the meaning of phrase pull up your socks?

phrase [VERB inflects] If you tell someone to pull their socks up, you mean that they should start working or studying harder, because they have been lazy or careless. [British, informal] He needs to pull his socks up if he is to make a success of his career.

What does spill the beans mean idiom?

Disclose a secret or reveal something prematurely, as in You can count on little Carol to spill the beans about the surprise. In this colloquial expression, first recorded in 1919, spill means “divulge,” a usage dating from the 1500s.

What does the phrase green around the gills mean?

Looking ill or nauseated
Also, green around the gills. Looking ill or nauseated, as in After that bumpy ride she looked quite green about the gills. The use of green to describe an ailing person’s complexion dates from about 1300, and gills has referred to the flesh around human jaws and ears since the 1600s.