cost an arm and a leg
be very expensive
In Spanish
be very expensive
Examples
- That apartment costs an arm and a leg — we can't afford it.
- The repairs on my car are going to cost an arm and a leg.
- Buying a new smartphone these days can cost an arm and a leg.
When it's used
This idiom is common and informal, used in both speaking and casual writing to describe something extremely expensive.
The common mistake
A common mistake is to say 'cost an eye of the face' by translating from Spanish literally. This phrase is not English and does not convey the intended meaning.
Related idioms
FROM WHAT YOU READ TO WHAT YOU SAY
Recognising it isn't the same as using it
Reading an idiom and understanding it is step one. Dropping it into a conversation, at the right moment, without stopping to think, is another — and that only comes from speaking.
Practise speaking→