Below are some body idioms:

 

✅ All ears = fully listening.

E.g: Give me a minute to finish my homework and then I’ll be all ears to hear about your day.

 

✅ Break a leg = good-luck.

E.g: You’ll be great tonight. Break a leg!

 

✅ By word of mouth = information learned verbally from other people.

E.g: I think that she found the apartment by word of mouth.

 

✅ Cold feet = be nervous before a big event.

E.g: Katie didn’t get cold feet until she put her wedding dress on.

 

✅ Cost an arm and a leg = be very expensive.

E.g: Dinner last week was amazing but it cost an arm and a leg.

 

✅ Cry (one’s) heart out = cry a lot.

E.g: I cried my heart out when my brother moved away.

 

✅ Get (something) off (one’s) chest =  tell someone your problems.

E.g: Thanks for listening to me complain about my boss. I just needed to get this off my chest.

 

✅ Give (or lend) a hand to (someone) = do something. E.g: Of course I can give you a hand moving next weekend.

 

✅ Hands are tied = not able to help, not allowed to behave the way one would like to.

E.g: He said that his hands were tied, there was nothing he could do to help us.

 

✅ Have (one’s) hands full =  to be very busy with something or someone.

E.g: I have my hands full with my four children. 

 

✅ Have (one’s) head in the clouds be unaware of what is going on.

E.g: Stephen has his head in the clouds if he thinks that he is going to pass these exams without studying.

 

✅ Head over heels deeply in love.

E.g: My sister is head over heels for her new boyfriend.

 

✅ Head start = an early start.

E.g: We decided to give James a head start in the scavenger hunt because he was the youngest.

 

✅ Off the top of (one’s) head =  giving information from memory, without thinking about it for very long.

E.g: I can’t remember the name of the restaurant off the top of my head, but it had delicious Italian food and it wasn’t far from here. 

 

✅ Keep an eye on =  take care of, watch for someone else.

E.g: Can you keep an eye on the stove for me while I run outside for a minute?

 

Did you already know any of these idioms?

 

Let’s practice!

 

Choose an idiom to replace the underlined expression.

 

1. I never thought I’d be so deeply in love with her.

(a) head over heels

(b) in over my head

(c) sticking my neck out

(d) keeping an eye on

 

2. After her bad breakup, my friend cried a lot.

(a) had her head in the clouds

(b) cried her heart out

(c) got cold feet

(d) got something off her chest

 

3. Of course you can tell me! I’m fully listening.

(a) all ears

(b) playing it by ear

(c) lending a hand

(d) sticking my neck out

 

4. Can you help me fix my computer?

(a) wash your hands of

(b) give me a hand with

(c) keep an eye on

(d) see eye to eye with

 

5. There is no need to be nervous for your presentation. You’ll be great! Good luck.

(a) Play it by ear

(b) Break a leg

(c) Get it off your chest

(d) My lips are sealed

 

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