cost/pay an arm and a leg

cost an arm and a leg

slang To be very expensive. A noun or pronoun can be used between "cost" and "a" to indicate the person spending the money. College tuition costs an arm and leg nowadays. I'm sick of paying rent in this town. It's costing me an arm and a leg! Believe me, it cost an arm and a leg to transform this house from a dated mess.

See also: an, and, arm, cost, leg

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

pay an arm and a leg (for something)

 and pay through the nose (for something)

Fig. to pay too much [money] for something. I hate to have to pay an arm and a leg for a tank of gas. If you shop around, you won't have to pay an arm and a leg. Why should you pay through the nose?

See also: an, and, arm, leg, pay

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

cost an arm and a leg

If something costs an arm and a leg, it costs a lot of money. It cost us an arm and a leg to get here. But it has been worth every penny and more. Note: Verbs such as pay, charge and spend are sometimes used instead of cost. Many restaurants were charging an arm and a leg for poor quality food.

See also: an, and, arm, cost, leg

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

cost an arm and a leg

be extremely expensive. informal

See also: an, and, arm, cost, leg

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

cost/pay an ˌarm and a ˈleg

(informal) cost/pay a lot of money: We want to redecorate the living room, but I’m afraid it’s going to cost us an arm and a leg.

See also: an, and, arm, cost, leg, pay

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017