Body Part Idioms
10 Body Part Idioms for Kids — Meanings, Hindi & Examples
Learn 10 body part idioms with Hindi meanings, examples & quiz!
📅 Updated: June 2, 2026 · ⏱️ 12 min read · Page 10 of 35
What is an Idiom? 🤔
An idiom is a phrase where words together mean something DIFFERENT from each word alone. This page teaches 10 body part idioms with Hindi meanings, origin stories, examples, conversations, common mistakes, and writing practice!
#1⭐🦶⭐
“Put your best foot forward”
What does “Put your best foot forward” mean?
“Put your best foot forward” means try your hardest, make a good impression. In Hindi: “अपना सर्वश्रेष्ठ दिखाओ”.
🗣️ Say it: Put your BEST foot FORWARD
😂 Literal
Putting your best foot ahead of the other
→
✅ Actual
Giving your best effort
📜 Origin: Lead with your strongest foot — give your best from the start!
✏️ Examples:
- Put your best foot forward in the interview!
- It’s your first day — put your best foot forward!
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Do you know what ‘put your best foot forward’ means?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means try your hardest, make a good impression.
👦 Aarav: Use it in a sentence!
👧 Priya: Put your best foot forward in the interview!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Put best foot forward.
✅ Put your best foot forward.
💡 Include ‘your’ — ‘put YOUR best foot’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#2⭐🦶❄️
“Get cold feet”
What does “Get cold feet” mean?
“Get cold feet” means become nervous and want to back out. In Hindi: “घबरा जाना / हिम्मत हारना”.
🗣️ Say it: Get COLD FEET
😂 Literal
Feet literally frozen in ice
→
✅ Actual
Getting too scared to proceed
📜 Origin: Cold feet = frozen, can’t move forward = too scared to continue!
✏️ Examples:
- Aarav got cold feet before his first stage performance.
- Don’t get cold feet now — you’ve practised for weeks!
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Do you know what ‘get cold feet’ means?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means become nervous and want to back out.
👦 Aarav: Use it in a sentence!
👧 Priya: Aarav got cold feet before his first stage performance.
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Got cold foot.
✅ Got cold feet.
💡 Plural — ‘feet’ not ‘foot’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#3⭐🧍♂️
“Stand on your own two feet”
What does “Stand on your own two feet” mean?
“Stand on your own two feet” means be independent, take care of yourself. In Hindi: “अपने पैरों पर खड़े होना”.
🗣️ Say it: Stand on your own TWO FEET
😂 Literal
A person standing firmly on two feet
→
✅ Actual
Being self-reliant
📜 Origin: Standing on your own feet = not leaning on anyone = independent!
✏️ Examples:
- Learning to cook helps you stand on your own two feet.
- One day you’ll need to stand on your own two feet.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Do you know what ‘stand on your own two feet’ means?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means be independent, take care of yourself.
👦 Aarav: Use it in a sentence!
👧 Priya: Learning to cook helps you stand on your own two feet.
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Stand on own feet.
✅ Stand on your own two feet.
💡 Include ‘your own TWO’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#4⭐🦵🍀
“Break a leg!”
What does “Break a leg!” mean?
“Break a leg!” means good luck! (especially before a performance). In Hindi: “शुभकामनाएँ! (नाटक से पहले)”.
🗣️ Say it: BREAK a LEG!
😂 Literal
Someone literally breaking their leg
→
✅ Actual
Wishing good luck before a show
📜 Origin: Theatre superstition — saying ‘good luck’ is bad luck, so say the opposite!
✏️ Examples:
- Break a leg at the dance competition, Priya!
- You’ll do great in the play tonight — break a leg!
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Do you know what ‘break a leg!’ means?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means good luck! (especially before a performance).
👦 Aarav: Use it in a sentence!
👧 Priya: Break a leg at the dance competition, Priya!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Break legs!
✅ Break a leg!
💡 Singular — ‘a leg’ not ‘legs’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#5⭐💰🦵🦾
“Cost an arm and a leg”
What does “Cost an arm and a leg” mean?
“Cost an arm and a leg” means very expensive. In Hindi: “बहुत महँगा”.
🗣️ Say it: Cost an ARM and a LEG
😂 Literal
Paying with an actual arm and leg
→
✅ Actual
Extremely expensive
📜 Origin: So expensive you’d have to sell body parts to afford it!
✏️ Examples:
- That designer bag costs an arm and a leg!
- Fixing the car cost us an arm and a leg.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Do you know what ‘cost an arm and a leg’ means?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means very expensive.
👦 Aarav: Use it in a sentence!
👧 Priya: That designer bag costs an arm and a leg!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Cost arm and leg.
✅ Cost an arm and a leg.
💡 Include ‘an’ and ‘a’ — both needed!
✍️ Your Turn:
#6⭐⭐🧊🤷
“Give someone the cold shoulder”
What does “Give someone the cold shoulder” mean?
“Give someone the cold shoulder” means ignore someone deliberately. In Hindi: “किसी को जानबूझकर नज़रअंदाज़ करना”.
🗣️ Say it: Give the COLD SHOULDER
😂 Literal
Turning your cold shoulder towards someone
→
✅ Actual
Intentionally ignoring someone
📜 Origin: In medieval times, unwelcome guests were given cold meat (shoulder cut) instead of hot food!
✏️ Examples:
- After their fight, Sneha gave Meera the cold shoulder for a week.
- Don’t give me the cold shoulder — let’s talk about it!
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Do you know what ‘give someone the cold shoulder’ means?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means ignore someone deliberately.
👦 Aarav: Use it in a sentence!
👧 Priya: After their fight, Sneha gave Meera the cold shoulder for a week.
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Give cold shoulder.
✅ Give the cold shoulder.
💡 Include ‘the’ — ‘give THE cold shoulder’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#7⭐😊👆
“Keep your chin up”
What does “Keep your chin up” mean?
“Keep your chin up” means stay positive, don’t be discouraged. In Hindi: “हिम्मत रखो / उम्मीद मत छोड़ो”.
🗣️ Say it: Keep your CHIN up
😂 Literal
Holding your chin up high
→
✅ Actual
Staying optimistic despite problems
📜 Origin: Head down = sad. Chin up = face forward, confident!
✏️ Examples:
- I know the test was hard, but keep your chin up — you’ll do better next time!
- Keep your chin up, Rahul — the team needs your positive energy.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Do you know what ‘keep your chin up’ means?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means stay positive, don’t be discouraged.
👦 Aarav: Use it in a sentence!
👧 Priya: I know the test was hard, but keep your chin up — you’ll do better next time!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Keep chin up.
✅ Keep your chin up.
💡 Include ‘your’ — ‘keep YOUR chin up’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#8⭐😬👅
“Bite your tongue”
What does “Bite your tongue” mean?
“Bite your tongue” means stop yourself from saying something. In Hindi: “ज़बान पर काबू रखो”.
🗣️ Say it: BITE your TONGUE
😂 Literal
Literally biting your own tongue
→
✅ Actual
Stopping yourself from speaking
📜 Origin: If you bite your tongue, you can’t speak — so it means hold back words!
✏️ Examples:
- I wanted to argue but I bit my tongue — it wasn’t worth it.
- Bite your tongue — don’t say anything you’ll regret!
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Do you know what ‘bite your tongue’ means?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means stop yourself from saying something.
👦 Aarav: Use it in a sentence!
👧 Priya: I wanted to argue but I bit my tongue — it wasn’t worth it.
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Bite the tongue.
✅ Bite your tongue.
💡 ‘Your’ not ‘the’ — bite YOUR tongue!
✍️ Your Turn:
#9⭐💪🧹
“Elbow grease”
What does “Elbow grease” mean?
“Elbow grease” means hard physical work and effort. In Hindi: “कड़ी मेहनत”.
🗣️ Say it: ELBOW grease
😂 Literal
Grease coming from elbows
→
✅ Actual
Good old-fashioned hard work
📜 Origin: No machine can replace elbow grease — just hard, manual effort!
✏️ Examples:
- This floor needs some elbow grease — grab the mop!
- With enough elbow grease, you can make anything shine.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Do you know what ‘elbow grease’ means?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means hard physical work and effort.
👦 Aarav: Use it in a sentence!
👧 Priya: This floor needs some elbow grease — grab the mop!
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Elbow’s grease.
✅ Elbow grease.
💡 No apostrophe — ‘elbow grease’ not ‘elbow’s grease’!
✍️ Your Turn:
#10⭐🤗😢
“A shoulder to cry on”
What does “A shoulder to cry on” mean?
“A shoulder to cry on” means a supportive person who listens to your problems. In Hindi: “रोने के लिए कंधा”.
🗣️ Say it: A SHOULDER to cry on
😂 Literal
Crying on someone’s literal shoulder
→
✅ Actual
A supportive person to talk to
📜 Origin: When you’re sad, leaning on someone’s shoulder for comfort!
✏️ Examples:
- Priya is always a shoulder to cry on when I’m upset.
- Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on sometimes.
💬 In a Conversation:
👦 Aarav: Do you know what ‘a shoulder to cry on’ means?
👧 Priya: Yes! It means a supportive person who listens to your problems.
👦 Aarav: Use it in a sentence!
👧 Priya: Priya is always a shoulder to cry on when I’m upset.
⚠️ Common Mistake:
❌ Shoulder to cry.
✅ A shoulder to cry on.
💡 Include ‘a’ and ‘on’ — ‘A shoulder to cry ON’!
✍️ Your Turn:
🎯 Match the Meaning!
Put your best foot forward
Get cold feet
Stand on your own two feet
Break a leg!
Cost an arm and a leg
✏️ Fill in the Idiom
Stuck? Click 💡 Hint!
Complete: … (try your hardest, make a good )
Complete: … (become nervous and want to bac)
Complete: … (be independent, take care of y)
Complete: … (good luck! (especially before )
Complete: … (very expensive)
❓ Quiz — Test Yourself!
1. ‘Put your best foot forward’ means:
2. ‘Get cold feet’ means:
3. ‘Stand on your own two feet’ means:
4. ‘Break a leg!’ means:
5. ‘Cost an arm and a leg’ means:
6. ‘Give someone the cold shoulder’ means:
7. ‘Keep your chin up’ means:
8. ‘Bite your tongue’ means:
🤓 Fun Facts
🤓 English has hundreds of body part idioms! This page teaches 10 of the most common.
🤓 Many body part idioms have origins going back centuries!
👨👩👧 Parent Tips
- Use idioms in daily conversation.
- Play idiom charades.
- Make flashcards.
- Spot idioms in books.
- Weekly family challenge!
📚 Explore More on English1to5.com
❓ FAQ
What are body part idioms?
Phrases using body references to describe everyday situations.
How many idioms here?
10 with meanings, Hindi, examples, dialogues.
Why learn idioms?
Used daily in English conversation, books, and media.
Used in India?
Yes! All commonly used in Indian English.
What grade level?
Grade 2-5 (ages 7-11).