What does that cost an arm and a leg mean?

Definition of cost an arm and a leg

informal. : to be too expensive I want a new car that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Where does the phrase it cost an arm and a leg come from?

After the American Civil War, Congress enacted a special pension for soldiers who had lost both an arm and a leg. The phrase “cost an arm and a leg” begins to crop up in newspaper archives in 1901, referring to accidents and war injuries.

What is the meaning of the idiom an arm and leg?

American Idiom: cost an arm and a leg

Cost an arm and a leg – means very expensive or too expensive.

What does spilling the beans mean?

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.

Whats the meaning of hot cake?

Idioms about hot cake

sell / go like hot cakes, to be disposed of very quickly and effortlessly, especially in quantity: His record sold like hot cakes on the first day after its release.

Meaning of "cost an arm and a leg" [ ForB English Lesson ]

Where did the term Big Wig come from?

A government bigwig is a person with a good deal of power and influence, and a corporate bigwig might own an enormous company. This word dates from the 18th century, when powerful, distinguished men tended to wear large, impressive wigs.

Where does barking up the wrong tree come from?

Barking up the wrong tree became common use in nineteenth century America in reference to hunting raccoons with a hunting dog. When the nocturnal animal takes to a tree, the dog is supposed to remain at the base of the tree until its owner arrives.

Where did the term straight laced come from?

straitlaced or straight-laced

adjective: Excessively strict, rigid, old-fashioned, or prudish. ETYMOLOGY: From Middle English streit (narrow), from Old French estreit, from Latin strictus, past participle of stringere (to bind, draw tight) + laqueus (noose). Earliest documented use: 1630.

What is the meaning of Niminy Piminy?

Definition of niminy-piminy

: affectedly refined : finicky.

What does Straightlace mean?

or straight-laced

excessively strict in conduct or morality; puritanical; prudish: strait-laced censors. tightly laced, as a bodice.

What's puritanical mean?

Definition of puritanical

very strict in moral or religious matters, often excessively so; rigidly austere. Sometimes Puritanical . of, relating to, or characteristic of Puritans or Puritanism.

What is the meaning of at a drop of a hat?

Immediately, without delay, as in We were ready to pack our bags and go on vacation at the drop of a hat. This phrase probably alludes to signaling the start of a race or other contest by dropping a hat. [ Late 1800s]

What is the meaning of the idiom last straw?

Definition of the final/last straw

: the last in a series of bad things that happen to make someone very upset, angry, etc. It had been a difficult week, so when the car broke down, it was the last straw.

Where does the phrase under the weather come from?

On the high seas when the wind would start to blow hard and the water became rough, crewmen and travelers would go below deck and down to their cabins in order to ride out the storm and avoid becoming seasick. In this way they literally retreat to a location “under the weather.”

Where does the phrase give someone the cold shoulder come from?

"Cold shoulder" is a phrase used to express dismissal or the act of disregarding someone. Its origin is attributed to Sir Walter Scott in a work published in 1816, which is in fact a mistranslation of an expression from the Vulgate Bible. There is also a commonly repeated incorrect folk etymology.

Why were powdered wigs a thing?

Powdered Wigs

People who wore them were among the "elites" in society. The first wigs were made from goat and horse hair, and because they were never properly washed they smelled quite terrible, and tended to attract lice. To combat the unfortunate odor and unwanted parasites, the wig-wearer would "powder" his wig.

When did the British stop wearing wigs?

The lasting legacy of wigs is undeniable – British judges and barristers still wore wigs well into the 21st century, although the practice is largely ceremonial now.

What is the meaning of when pig fly?

Definition of when pigs fly

—used to say that one thinks that something will never happen The train station will be renovated when pigs fly.

What do you call a camel's back?

[ kam-uhl-bak ] SHOW IPA. / ˈkæm əlˌbæk / PHONETIC RESPELLING. ? College Level. noun. the back of a camel: They traveled through the desert on camelback.

What does taking a breather mean?

If you take a breather, you stop what you are doing for a short time and have a rest.

What does burn the candle at both ends?

To do more than one ought to; to overextend oneself: “His doctor said that his illness was brought on by stress and recommended that he stop burning the candle at both ends.”

What does upsetting the apple cart mean?

Spoil carefully laid plans, as in Now don't upset the applecart by revealing where we're going. This expression started out as upset the cart, used since Roman times to mean “spoil everything.” The precise idiom dates from the late 1700s.

What does dont bat an eye mean?

US, informal. : to show no surprise, fear, concern, etc. He thought the news would make her upset, but she never batted an eye.

What is a callow fellow?

1 lacking experience of life; immature. 2 Rare (of a young bird) unfledged and usually lacking feathers.

What does the word Sententiously mean?

1a : given to or abounding in aphoristic expression. b : given to or abounding in excessive moralizing. 2 : terse, aphoristic, or moralistic in expression : pithy, epigrammatic.