25 English Body Idioms Break a legSkin of teeth
(gentle music)
- Hello everyone,
and welcome back to English with Lucy.
Today, we are going to discuss body idioms
and there are a lot of them.
Today we are going to talk about 25
of the most commonly used idioms
relating to the human body.
I haven’t done an idioms video in so long
and I’ve had quite a lot
of requests for them.
So I think this is a
really, really good topic
to come back with.
As always, I have created a free PDF
that goes with this lesson.
It contains everything we’ll
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Right, let’s get started with the lesson.
Right we’re going to go through
these in alphabetical order.
Number one, is all ears.
All ears, and I hope you can see
and appreciate my toast,
my buttered toast earrings today.
I just thought they weren’t quite well.
If you are all ears, then it
means you are fully listening.
Let me finish hanging out the washing
and then I’ll be all ears.
I’ll be fully listening to you.
It’s a nice way of saying I
can’t concentrate right now
because I’m busy, but in a
second, I’ll be fully listening.
I’ll be all ears.
Number two, you might know this one,
this is normally one of the
first idioms that people learn
apart from it’s raining cats
and dogs, which we never say.
It is, break a leg.
Break a leg, and this means good luck.
It’s most commonly used for actors
or musicians that are
going to perform onstage.
An example, I forgot you’re
on stage tonight, break a leg.
Number three, moving on to teeth.
(laughs)This one is by
the skin of one’s teeth.
And this means only just or barely
the skin or the enamel
on your teeth is so thin,
you only just did something.
This example is true.
I passed my driving test
by the skin of my teeth.
I really did one more mistake
and I wouldn’t have passed.
This is interesting, actually fun fact.
I turned up to my driving test four times,
but I only failed twice.
Because one time I turned up
and I hadn’t clicked confirm
when booking in my test.
So I was all nervous waiting there,
turns out I didn’t have a test that day,
I had to wait another month (laughs).
Number four moving down to feet.
Cold feet, to have cold feet.
If you get cold feet
or you have cold feet,
it means you suddenly feel
nervous about something.
Something usually important
that you plan to do.
And it’s often used before weddings.
If somebody suddenly thinks,
ah, is this actually what I want?
It means they’re getting cold feet,
they’re suddenly doubting
whether they want to do something or not.
They’re getting nervous.
An example, I hope he
doesn’t get cold feet
before the wedding.
Number five, moving on to arms,
but still involving the legs.
To cost an arm and a leg.
If something costs an arm and a leg,
then it is very expensive.
An example, I bet that coat
cost her an arm and a leg.
I bet that coat was so expensive.
Number six, eyes or heart.
To cry your eyes out or
to cry your heart out.
I would say in British
English to cry your eyes out
is more commonly used.
I wonder in American English,
if any speakers of American
English are watching,
please let me know in
the comments section.
This means to cry a lot.
Just crying your eyes out,
she was crying so much.
An example, she cried her eyes
out when she lost her cat.
Number seven, moving on to chest.
To get something off your chest.
This means to tell someone
what’s been on your mind
or to tell someone one of your problems.
It’s a heavy load on your
chest and you get it off.
An example, I need to get it off my chest
and tell my boss that I am unhappy.
Number eight, hands.
To give a hand or to lend a hand.
This means to help.
And I would say lend is possibly
more common in British English.
Can you give me a hand?
Can you lend me a hand?
Give me, or lend me, lend me.
Can you lend me a hand?
An example, if you need
any help with moving,
I can lend a hand.
Number nine, head.
To have one’s head in the clouds.
This means to be unaware or
unrealistic about something,
to be naive.
An example, he has his head in the clouds,
if he thinks he’s getting
a pay rise in this economy.
Number 10, head and feet here.
We have head over heels.
Head over heels.
To fall head over heels
in love with somebody.
Head over heels means deeply
or completely in love.
An example, she is head over
heels with her new puppy.
She’s completely in
love with her new puppy.
Number 11, head again, in over one’s head.
To be in over one’s head.
This means that you’re taking on a task
that you can’t handle.
An example, I am
completely in over my head
in my new teaching position.
Number 12 is eyes.
To keep an eye on.
To keep an eye on something or someone.
This means to watch or monitor
normally in a protective way.
To keep something safe.
An example, can you keep an eye on my bike
whilst I nip into the post office?
To nip somewhere, is to
go somewhere very briefly.
To nip into, to go into very briefly.
I’m just going to nip to the shops.
I’m just going to very
quickly go to the shops.
Number 13, chin.
To keep one’s chin up.
To keep one’s chin up.
This means to try to be cheerful
or to try to avoid being sad.
An example, keep your chin up,
exam season will be over soon.
Number 14, is to learn
or to know off by heart.
You don’t always have to include the off,
that’s quite common in British English.
To learn by heart, to know off by heart.
This means to memorise.
An example, I know the Harry
Potter books off by heart,
all seven of them.
Number 15, we’re onto hair.
This is to let one’s hair down.
To let one’s hair down.
Which means to relax or to have fun.
Let your hair down, relax,
have fun enjoy yourself.
This is usually said to somebody
who’s a little more serious.
An example, she needs
to let her hair down.
She is always so stressed.
Number 16, lips.
My lips are sealed.
My lips are sealed and this means
your secret is safe with me.
An example, my lips are sealed,
I have no idea how much your dress cost.
Number 17, blood.
I don’t know where to point
all over my body hopefully.
It is makes my blood boil.
If something makes your blood boil,
it makes you really really angry.
An example, the way that
they have underpaid you
and mistreated you over all
these years makes my blood boil.
Number 18, the body as a whole.
Over my dead body.
Over my dead body.
This is something that
said, when you want to say,
you cannot do that until I am dead,
and then I can’t stop you.
An example, over my dead body,
I will never let you drive my car.
You’ll have to wait til I die
before you can drive my car.
Number 19, Back.
A pat on the back.
A pat on the back.
And this means a thank you or recognition.
An example, I think I
deserve a pat on the back
after all of my hard work today.
You will often see people
doing a little meaning,
oh pat on the back, I’ve done really well.
Well done me (laughs).
Number 20, back to those
wonderful ears again.
To play something by ear.
This means to do something without a plan.
An example, I don’t know if the weather
will be dry enough for a picnic.
Let’s play it by ear.
Let’s not have a plan, we’ll just decide
if it’s nice weather later on
today, we’ll have the picnic.
If not, then we’ll have the picnic inside
and living in Britain with
very unpredictable weather.
I have had many, a picnic inside before.
Number 21, back to legs.
It is to pull one’s leg.
To pull someone’s leg.
This means to joke or to tease someone.
For example, are you pulling my leg?
Are you really moving away?
Don’t pull my leg.
Is she pulling my leg?
Number 22, thumb.
The rule of thumb or a rule of thumb.
This means a general basic
rule, that’s not always true,
but it’s generally true.
An example, as a rule of
thumb, a cup of coffee
generally contains 80
milligrammes of caffeine.
Number 23, eyes.
To see eye to eye.
To see eye to eye.
This means to agree on something.
So if you say we don’t see
eye to eye, we don’t agree.
For example, her parents
didn’t see eye to eye
on her education.
Number 24, back to teeth.
We have sweet tooth, a sweet tooth.
And this means a love of sweet things.
Can you tell me if that’s
the same in your language?
If English isn’t your first language,
I’d be very interested.
Do you have a sweet tooth,
direct translation or something different?
My grandma has the biggest
sweet tooth on earth.
And here’s your example,
my grandma once requested a birthday meal
consisting of just puddings.
She has such a sweet tooth.
And number 25 back to hands.
It is to wash one’s hands of something.
To wash your hands of something.
And this means to stop dealing
with an issue or a problem.
I’m going to wash my hands of it.
I’m not gonna deal with it anymore,
not my problem.
An example, I’m going
to wash my hands of him.
He causes too many problems.
Right, that is it for today’s lesson,
I hope you enjoyed it.
I hope you learned something.
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For homework, I would like you to include
five of these idioms,
pick your five favourite
and use them in the comment section.
And I will try to see as
many as I possibly can
and give you some feedback.
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I will see you soon for
another lesson (lips smacking)
In over my (mumbles)
If somebody, if somebody’s lipstick break.
(gentle music)