body idioms

[Ashwag]

Body idioms

The heart

break someone's heart = upset someone greatly: "She broke his heart when she left him."

learn something off by heart = learn something completely: "I've learnt this off by heart - I'm bound to pass the exam!"

you're all heart! = when you tell someone sarcastically how kind they are: "Thanks for giving me all this work - you're all heart!"

hand on heart = promise with sincerity: "Hand on heart, it's
the honest truth."

have the heart = be able to give someone bad news: "I didn't have the heart to tell him he'd failed."

a heart of gold = be a very kind person: "She'll always help - she has a heart of gold."

Hands

hand over = pass on something: "Before I leave, I have to hand over all my work."

get out of hand = become impossible to manage: "You'll have to deal with this problem before it gets out of hand."

know something like the back of your hand = know something
extremely well: "He knows London like the back of his hand."

have your hands full = be very busy: "I can't do anything about it now - my hands are full."

in hand = under control: "The company report is in hand - you'll have it next week."

live hand to mouth = only earn enough money for food: "After he lost his job, he had to live hand to mouth for a couple of months."

give someone a hand = help someone: "He always gives me a hand with the housework."

have someone in the palm of your hand = have influence over someone: "He's got her in the palm of his hand."
be caught red-handed = be caught doing something bad: "The children were caught red-handed picking the flowers."

Fingers

butter fingers = be clumsy and drop things: "You've droppedmy vase! Butter fingers!"

keep your fingers crossed = wish something for someone: "Keep your fingers crossed for me tomorrow - it's my job interview."

under your thumb = control someone: "She's got him under her thumb - he won't do anything without asking her first."

Arms

twist someone's arm = persuade someone: "I didn't want togo out, but he twisted my arm."

cost an arm and a leg = cost a fortune: "The car cost an arm and a leg - it'll take them ages to pay back the loan."