Wordplay withFlesh and Bone: Idioms Using Body Parts
English is a language rich with colorful expressions, often drawing upon the imagery of the human body to convey complex ideas. Idioms, those quirky phrases whose meaning cannotbe deduced from the literal words, are a testament to the language’s creative spirit. Let’s delve into some common and intriguing idioms that use our very own flesh and bone as their building blocks.
Head and Shoulders Above the Rest
The head, often associated with intelligence andleadership, features prominently in several idioms. This section explores some of them.
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To have a head for something
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To be good at or have a natural aptitude for something, often a specific subjectlike math or business.
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To be head over heels
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To be completely and utterly in love with someone.
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To givesomeone a piece of your mind
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To tell someone frankly and often angrily what you think of them.
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To keep your head above water
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To manage to stay afloat,especially when struggling financially or under pressure.
The Heart of the Matter
The heart, the seat of emotions, naturally lends itself to expressions of love, sadness, and courage.
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To become encouraged or hopeful.
The Hands Have It
Our hands, used for so much of our interaction with the world, are the subjects of many idioms of action and skill.
“>To try your hand at something:
To attempt to do something new or challenging.
Eyes and Ears
Sight and hearing also feature in some striking idioms that refer to how we perceive the world.
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To keep an eye on someone/something
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To watch or monitor someone or something.
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To turn a blind eye tosomething
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To deliberately ignore something.
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To be all ears
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To be eager and attentive to hear something.
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To hear something on the grapevine
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To hear information which may or may not be true, often gossip.
These are just a few examples of the myriad ways in which we use our bodies toenrich and enliven the English language. The next time you hear one of these idioms, you’ll have a better understanding of the vivid imagery they evoke.