20 Idioms with Body Parts in English

20 Idioms with Body Parts in English (with Meanings & Examples)

English loves using the human body to talk about feelings, behaviour, money, courage, fear, and everyday situations. We don’t just listen — we’re all ears. We don’t just be brave — we stick our neck out. And we don’t just stay positive — we keep our chin up. In this lesson, you will learn 20 idioms with body parts in English that native speakers use all the time — in conversation, films, books, and even in exams.

Let’s dive in. 👇

Listening, thinking & attitude

All ears

Meaning: listening with great interest

• Tell me what happened — I’m all ears.
• When Grandma started her story, the children were all ears.

Head in the clouds

Meaning: unrealistic, not paying attention to real life

• You can’t run a business with your head in the clouds.
• She’s been walking around with her head in the clouds all week.

Not see beyond your nose

Meaning: to think only about yourself

• He’s so busy with his career that he can’t see beyond his nose.
• Management often can’t see beyond their nose.

Have a chip on your shoulder

Meaning: to feel angry or resentful because of past experiences

• He’s had a chip on his shoulder ever since he lost that job.
• She’s always defensive — she clearly has a chip on her shoulder.

Silver tongue / Silver-tongued

Meaning: very good at persuading people

• He’s a silver-tongued salesman — be careful.
• Her silver tongue helped her win the negotiation.

Courage, effort & risk

Stick your neck out

Meaning: to take a risk

• I’ll stick my neck out and recommend you for the job.
• He stuck his neck out and asked for a pay rise.

Put your best foot forward

Meaning: to try to do your best

• Put your best foot forward in the interview.
• She always puts her best foot forward at work.

Keep your chin up

Meaning: stay positive in a difficult situation

• I know it’s hard, but keep your chin up.
• He tried to keep his chin up after the bad news.

Get cold feet

Meaning: to suddenly become afraid and hesitate

• He got cold feet and didn’t go to the wedding.
• Don’t get cold feet now — you’re almost there!

Get your feet wet

Meaning: to try something for the first time

• She got her feet wet by doing some volunteer work.
• I’m just getting my feet wet in this new job.

Money, cost & responsibility

Cost an arm and a leg

Meaning: to be very expensive

• That car costs an arm and a leg.
• A weekend in that hotel will cost an arm and a leg.

Foot the bill

Meaning: to pay for something

• The company will foot the bill.
• Her parents footed the bill for the wedding.

Feelings & physical reactions

Chilled to the bone

Meaning: extremely cold or very frightened

• We were chilled to the bone after walking in the rain.
• The story chilled me to the bone.

Come over someone (feeling came over me)

Meaning: to suddenly feel something strongly

• A strange feeling came over me.
• I don’t know what came over me.

Have a good pair of lungs

Meaning: to be able to shout or sing very loudly

• That baby has a good pair of lungs!
• Opera singers need a very good pair of lungs.

Food, travel & everyday life

Eyes bigger than your stomach

Meaning: you take more food than you can eat

• Your eyes are bigger than your stomach again!
• I shouldn’t have taken so much — my eyes were bigger than my stomach.

A moment on your lips, a lifetime on your hips

Meaning: unhealthy food is enjoyable now but bad in the long run

• That cake looks amazing, but… a moment on your lips, a lifetime on your hips.

First leg of the journey

Meaning: the first part of a journey

• The first leg of the journey took us to Vienna.
• The first leg was easy — the rest was exhausting.

People & behaviour

Ankle-biter

Meaning: a small child (informal)

• The party was full of ankle-biters running around.
• I haven’t seen you since you were an ankle-biter!

Turn the other cheek

Meaning: not to react angrily when someone hurts or insults you

• He insulted me, but I decided to turn the other cheek.
• Sometimes it’s hard to turn the other cheek.

Don’t just memorise idioms. Try to notice them in films and books, learn them in context and use one or two at a time in your own speaking and writing.

Learn 100 business English idioms here

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