By Daniel, ESL Educator & Idiom Series Author
You may have heard this story. Long ago, portrait painters charged by the body part. A face cost a little. Add the arms and the price went up. Paint the legs too, and the picture would “cost an arm and a leg.”
It’s a fun story. It’s also not true. Let’s look at what we really know about this very common phrase, and how to use it like a native speaker.
Quick answer: If something costs an arm and a leg, it is very expensive, often more expensive than it should be. It’s informal and a little humorous.
Busting the portrait painter myth
Gary Martin of The Phrase Finder looked into the painter story and found nothing to support it. Painters did charge more for bigger pictures, of course. But there’s no evidence that they set their prices by counting limbs.
There is also a timing problem. The great age of formal portrait painting was centuries ago, but the phrase is young. The earliest example Martin found is from December 1949, in the Long Beach Independent in California. A food columnist, Beulah Karney, wrote about a Christmas that would not “cost her an arm and a leg.” So the expression appears to be American and to date from just after World War II.
So where did it come from?
Nobody knows for certain. Martin mentions two possibilities.
- The war. After World War II, American newspapers often reported on soldiers who had lost an arm and a leg. The phrase might reflect that terrible price. Martin says this is possible, but he doesn’t think it’s the most likely answer.
- Two older phrases joined together. English already had “I would give my right arm for…” (a printed example from 1849) and the American expression “if it takes a leg” (an example from an Iowa newspaper in 1875), meaning “whatever it costs me.” Martin thinks the modern phrase probably grew out of these.
Either way, the idea is the same: the price is so high, it feels like paying with your own body. Many languages have a similar image. French speakers say something costs “the eyes from the head.”
The part dictionaries skip: it’s an exaggeration, and everyone knows it
Here’s what learners often miss. “Cost an arm and a leg” is almost never used for something truly tragic or serious. It’s playful exaggeration about money, usually for everyday things: car repairs, concert tickets, rent, a wedding dress, a cup of coffee at the airport.
Because it’s a complaint with a smile, it works best in casual conversation. In a business report, write “very expensive” or “costly” instead.
And notice one very natural use: the negative. People often say a good deal “didn’t cost an arm and a leg.” This is a friendly way to say “it was reasonable.”
- “We found a great hotel, and it didn’t cost an arm and a leg.”
- “You can eat well in this city without paying an arm and a leg.”
Three verbs, one idiom
The phrase is flexible. The fixed part is an arm and a leg. The verb can change depending on who you’re talking about:
- cost (the thing is the subject): “That phone cost an arm and a leg.”
- pay (the buyer is the subject): “I paid an arm and a leg for that phone.”
- charge (the seller is the subject): “That shop charges an arm and a leg for repairs.”
Remember that the past tense of cost is still cost: “It cost an arm and a leg last year.” Not “costed.”
Hear it in conversation
Elena: Did you get the new laptop?
Omar: Not yet. The one I wanted costs an arm and a leg.
Elena: Have you tried buying a refurbished one?
Omar: Good idea. Same machine, and it won’t cost me an arm and a leg.
Other ways to say “too expensive”
- cost a fortune: very similar, a bit more neutral.
- pay through the nose: pay too much, often because you had no choice.
- break the bank: usually negative: “A weekend trip won’t break the bank.”
- cost a pretty penny: a little old-fashioned and gentle.
Quick practice
Choose the best verb: cost, paid or charges.
- That garage ___ an arm and a leg just to look at your engine.
- We ___ an arm and a leg for those concert tickets.
- Living near the city center can ___ an arm and a leg.
Answers: 1. charges (the seller) 2. paid (the buyer) 3. cost (the thing)
You might also like: Idiom Series #7: Bang for Your Buck, the happy opposite of this idiom.
A Note from Daniel
I like this idiom because it’s one of the few that makes complaining feel creative. There’s something almost pleasing about the exaggeration. It captures the real frustration of an unreasonable price in a way that’s vivid but not mean. Everyone has their own story about something that cost an arm and a leg, whether it’s a car repair, a textbook, or a dentist visit. If you have one, I’d really like to hear it.
Sources
- Martin, G. “An arm and a leg.” The Phrase Finder. phrases.org.uk
- Cambridge Dictionary, entry: “cost an arm and a leg.”
Every word carries a story. Stay curious. — Daniel