Body parts used in slang

Many of the everyday phrases and words we use have surprising origins, often coming from parts of the human body. From physical looks to those that refer to actions and emotions, using body parts in slang is a fascinating way to see how language changes and grows over time. Here you’ll see some examples:

To cost an arm and a leg – to be extremely expensive
“The car cost him an arm and a leg”

To get off one’s back – to stop pestering someone
“get off my back, I can’t do it now”

You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours – you do me a favor, I’ll do you a favor
“This time I’ll give you the work for free, you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours”

To be brainy – to be very intelligent
“She’s very brainy, she’ll know how to handle that”

To turn the other cheek – to accept without resistance
“He always turns the other cheek and remains calm”

To be all ear’s – to listen intently
“What happened? I’m all ears, you can trust me”

Ear for music – to have an aptitude for music
“Her ear for music made her become a great musician”

Eye-catcher – attractive person or thing
“She is a real eye-catcher”

To get back on one’s feet – to reestablish oneself after a failure
“After she lost her job, it took her a while to get back on her feet”

To have the guts to do something – to have the courage to do something
“It takes guts to stand up for what you believe in”

At hand – important, pressing or currently being dealt with
“We need to focus on the task at hand and not get distracted by other things.”

Head over heels for someone – madly in love with someone
“I’m head over heels for my neighbor”

To hit the nail on the head – to be exactly right
“You really hit the nail on the head, she is in fact pregnant”

Off the top of one’s head – give information without careful thought
“I can’t be specific, but off the top of my head, I’d say he’ll be arriving in a few minutes”

To pull someone’s leg – To deceive or trick someone in a playful way or to tease someone
“Stop pulling my leg about my new dress, it’s not that ugly”

To keep a stiff upper lip – to keep one’s emotion under control
“He kept a stiff upper lip and didn’t give up his plan”

To be a pain in the neck – to be annoying
“He’s such a pain in the neck”

To give someone the cold shoulder – not to speak with someone
“He’s giving me the cold shoulder, he doesn’t care about what I have to say”

Thumbs up – approval
“She gave me a thumbs up on the project”

By looking at these common phrases, we get a better idea of how body parts are used as symbols in everyday language, making it easier for us to talk and connect with others. So, the next time you hear one of these phrases, you’ll see how language changes and shows our human experiences in na interesting way.

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