Sometimes me need to make sacrifices in life, but would you ever exchange an arm or a leg for something? I for sure wouldn’t. Interestingly, this term goes back to the early 20th century where the cost of winning the war was literally an arm or a leg. The idea is that sometimes you have to sacrifice something valuable (like an arm) to gain something else of value. Can you think of anything expensive which cost you an arm or a leg??
Definition
To cost an arm and a leg: to be expensive
To cost an arm and a leg: 値段が高い
Examples
Example 1: These cakes are delicious, but they cost an arm and a leg.
このケーキ美味しいんだけど、高いんだよね
Example 2: I have to commute an hour every day because it costs an arm and a leg to live in central Tokyo.
Example 3: Please don’t lose that ring, it cost me an arm and a leg!
