What does ‘cost an arm and a leg’ mean?
To “cost an arm and a leg” means to be extremely expensive. A 20th-century American idiom; Brewer's 1898 does not record it. The image is of a price that costs more than money.
Origin
- A 20th-century American idiom; Brewer's 1898 does not record it. The image is of a price that costs more than money.
How to use it
- Very common in casual complaint about prices.
- Example: That car cost an arm and a leg.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.