Cost an Arm and A Leg

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🗓️ Idiom: Cost an Arm and a Leg

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💬 Meaning

• To be extremely expensive or overpriced.
• Used to describe something that requires a large amount of money, often more than expected or reasonable.

🧠 Example Sentences

• Their new accounting software cost an arm and a leg, but it’s already saving time.
• Upgrading the office equipment will cost an arm and a leg, so we need approval.
• Hiring a top financial advisor might cost an arm and a leg, but it could be worth it.

🏛️ Origin

The phrase is believed to have originated after World War I or II, referencing the high cost of war, many soldiers literally lost limbs. Over time, it evolved into a way to describe high monetary cost.

📝 Practice Exercises

1. Fill in the blank:

That designer laptop looks great, but it __________.

Answer

costs an arm and a leg

2. Choose the correct meaning of “cost an arm and a leg”:

A) To be dangerous
B) To be very expensive
C) To be hard to carry

Answer

B) To be very expensive

3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

“Their vacation was extremely expensive.” → Change the sentence using: cost an arm and a leg

Answer

Their vacation cost an arm and a leg.

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ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

👉 Finance and Accounting Idioms
👉 Business English Idioms List
👉 Student Space
👉 Tutor Toolkit

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