To Cost an Arm and a Leg

To Cost an Arm and a Leg

Example Dialogues:


Joanna: How much did you pay for you car?
John: It was $12,000.

Michelle: How much was dinner?
Maria: It was $24.00

Lia: How much was the hospital bill?
Eric: It cost an arm and a leg!
Lia: What? Are you ok? An arm and a leg? What do you mean?
Eric: Haha, don’t worry, Lia! My arms and legs are safe! When we say something cost an arm and a leg, it means something was very very expensive! It’s an idiom!
Lia: Oh…ok. You scared me! So… how much was it?
Eric: I was in the hospital for three days and it cost me $150,000
Lia: Wow, that really did cost an arm and a leg! Sorry to hear that, but I am happy that you are not sick anymore!
Eric: Thanks, Lia…

Hideka: Ligia, that is a really nice purse! It looks very expensive!
Ligia: Well… Thank you! Guess how much I paid for it.
Hideka: I don’t know, but I am sure it cost an arm and a leg! It looks really expensive!
Ligia: The original price was $400.00, but I bought it at ROSS for only $80.00!
Hideka: Wow! That was a great deal!


Meaning: To cost an arm and a leg means to be extremely expensive.
Watch this video to see an example of how to use the idiom to cost an arm and a leg:
www.howcast.com/videos/3100-How-To-Live-on-Practically-Nothing

These idioms are from LSI's book Speaking Savvy, which is used in the level 5 listening and speaking classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/

The history of the idioms “in the black” and “in the red”

Idioms: "in the black" and "in the red"; used as adjectives

Usually when accountants (people who work managing money) write down the amount of money they have available, they use a black pen to write the amount if they have enough money and a red pen to write the amount if they don’t have enough money or owe that amount. Some accounting computer programs also use black and red to indicate that. Read the following dialogue and see if you can guess the meaning of “in the black” and “in the red”:

Example Dialogue
Regina: Hey, Mark! Do you want to go to Disneyland with us next weekend?
Mark: I would love to go, Regina, but I am in the red ! I have to save money. Maybe next time… Thank you!
Regina: Well, I have good news! My sister sent me a $500.00 check for my 21st birthday! I am in the black now and I would be happy to pay for your ticket!
Mark: But, Regina… I have no idea when I’ll be in the black again to pay you back!
Regina: Please don’t worry about it, Mark… You are my best friend! I like you very much… I really, really like you… a lot!
Mark: Wow, thank you. I’ll accept your offer if you let me take you out on a date when I am not in the red anymore. What do you think?
Regina: YES! YES! Sure…

Meaning: As you probably noticed, being “in the black” means having enough money, and being “in the red” means not having enough money or owing money.

These idioms are from LSI's book Speaking Savvy, which is used in the level 5 listening and speaking classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/

to be into

to be into (something/ someone)

Idiom: to be into; used as a verb

First Example: Eun Hye is into surfing.

Meaning: to be into means to enjoy something a lot. In this example, Eun Hye likes to surf. We often use "be into (something)" to talk about our likes and dislikes.

Here is another example:

Second Example: Brian has been dating his girlfriend for a year. I think he’s really into her.

Meaning: In this case, the meaning of "be into" is slightly different. Here, it means that Brian really likes his girlfriend, and he is serious about the relationship. You can use "be into" to talk about a person you would like to date, or a girlfriend or boyfriend. (Note: We usually don’t use this expression to talk about friendship, only about romantic feelings.)

This idiom is from LSI's book "Speaking Transitions," which is used in the Level 4 listening and speaking classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/

to chip in

to chip in

Idiom: to chip in; used as a verb

First Example: Everyone chipped in five dollars to buy a birthday present for Yoko.

Meaning: to chip means to help pay for or do something. In this example, several people gave money to buy a birthday gift for Yoko. Sometimes we chip in money so that we can afford to buy one nice gift, instead of many inexpensive gifts. In a sentence, chip in is sometimes followed by the specific amount of money everyone pays.

Here is another example:

Second Example: All of Lisa’s coworkers chipped in to give her a wedding shower.

Meaning: In this case, Lisa’s coworkers all gave some money to have a party for her before her wedding. In American workplaces, we often chip in for gifts or parties for co-workers.

This idiom is from LSI's book "Reading Transitions," which is used in the Level 4 reading classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/

to have (one's) eye on

To have (one's) eye on __

Today's idiom has two meanings

Idiom: to have (one's) eye on (something); used as a verb.

First Example: Hideka has her eye on a new purse at Nordstrom. It's a little expensive, so she is saving money so she can buy it next month.

Meaning: to have (one's) eye on something means that the person is working towards getting a thing he or she desires. In this example, Hideka likes the purse she saw at Nordstrom, and she is saving money with the purpose of buying the purse the following month. This idiom can apply to any desired noun, whether it's a physical object or a goal. Note that the "(one's)" is replaced by a possessive pronoun, and "(something)" is replaced with what is desired.

Here is another example of the same usage:

Second Example: Ben has had his eye on Elizabeth's position ever since she announced her retirement. In order to prove he deserves the promotion, he started working longer hours and taking work home with him.

Meaning: In this case, Ben desires Elizabeth's old position, so he is working harder in order to get a promotion. Please note that while any non-progressive verb tense is possible, simple present and present perfect are the most common verb tenses used with this meaning.

Idiom: to have (one's) eye on (someone); used as a verb.

First Example: Mrs. Johnson caught Billy cheating on last week's test. She told him, "I have my eye on you now." Now that she is watching him, he won't cheat again because he is afraid he will get caught.

Meaning: to have (one's) eye on (someone) means that the person is watching "(someone)" because he or she is expected to do something bad. In this case, Billy cheated, so Mrs. Johnson is watching Billy. Note that this idiom can be tricky due to the two people involved. The subject of the clause is the person watching, and the object is the person being watching. The possessive pronoun replacing "(one's)" should match the subject (or watcher), not the object (or person being watching).

Here is another example of the same usage:

Second Example: The salesman has had his eye on the children since they came into the store. He thinks they might steal some candy.

Meaning: In this case, the salesman is afraid the children might steal something, so he has been watching them. Please note that while any non-progressive verb tense is possible, simple present and present perfect are the most common verb tenses used with this meaning. However, if a progressive meaning is desired, the similar idiom "keep one's eye on" can be used; the above example could be replaced with "The salesman has been keeping his eye on the children..."

This idiom is from LSI's book "Reading Horizons," which is used in the Level 6 Reading classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/

to flip out

Idiom: to flip out

First Example: When I accidentally dropped my new iPhone into a cup of coffee, I flipped out! I had just bought it the day before, and it was very expensive.

Meaning: to flip out means to suddenly become excited, frightened, or crazy. In the first example, the person dropped a new and expensive iPhone into a cup of coffee, so of course he became a little crazy.

Here is another example:

Second Example: When Julie came home and found a burglar in her kitchen, she just flipped out. She couldn't stop screaming, even after he ran away.

Meaning: In this case, Julie is really shocked and scared that a burglar is in her house. She can't control herself and just keeps screaming.

This idiom is from LSI's book "Speaking Transitions," which is used in the Level 4 Listening/Speaking classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/

to have (something) both ways

Idiom: to have (something) both ways; used as a verb.

First Example: Mario has been dating Erika for six months, but he also likes Tina and would like to ask her out. Mario wants to have it both ways. He would like to date both Erika and Tina.

Meaning: to have (something or it) both ways means to get the best of a situation by getting the benefits of two opposite things. In this example, Mario likes his relationship with Erika, but he also likes Tina. However, he can't date both of them at the same time because he has been dating Erika for six months. This idiom can apply to any situation where there are two opposite things that can't be done at the same time. It's used as an infinitive in this example.

Here is another example:

Second Example: John works long hours and makes a lot of money, but he would like to have more time off to do the things he enjoys. However, John can't have it both ways. He either works hard and makes a lot of money, or he takes more time off and makes less money.

Meaning: In this case, the two opposite things are working a lot and taking more time off. John can't make a lot of money if he does both of these things at the same time. He must choose one thing. In this example, it's used with the modal "can't."

This idiom is from LSI's book "Speaking Savvy," which is used in the Level 5 Listening/Speaking classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/