English Idioms

Cost an Arm and a Leg

Meaning:

• Very expensive

1. It costs an arm and a leg to attend college these days.
2. Plane tickets to Japan are going to cost an arm and a leg.
3. How can people afford to buy a home without costing them an arm and a leg?
4. If I had to pay for my own health insurance, it would cost me an arm and leg to do it myself.

1. What costs an arm and a leg for some people in your local community (e.g., food for the homeless)?

Topic 1

You want to take a trip to Hawaii to celebrate your graduation, but travel expenses (flights, hotels, food, activities) are going to cost you an arm and a leg.  What are you going to do to earn the money to pay for the trip?

Possible Answer:

“I’m going to get a part-time job to pay for the plane tickets.”

Task 2

Your grandfather is in the intensive care unit of the hospital with COVID-19, and your father isn’t sure how he is going to pay the medical bills.  In addition, your father’s restaurant hasn’t done well since the beginning of the pandemic, and it is costing an arm and a leg to keep it open and pay the workers’ salaries. What suggestions can you give your father to survive this difficult situation?

Possible Answer:

“Dad. I think  you should focus on a new take-out menu to increase business.”