Costs an Arm and a Leg

Expression: "costs an arm and a leg"

Meaning: There are several possible origins for this idiom, and one logical origin is in warfare. While many troops lose their lives in battle, many survive with lost limbs. Therefore, whatever the outcome of the war, these latter troops paid for that outcome, literally, with their arms and their legs. So if their country remained free after an invasion, for example, then a disabled veteran might say that their freedom cost him an arm and a leg. We won't discuss every other possible origin for this expression, but, over time, the cost of an arm and a leg has evolved to mean a very, very high price.

Example: Attending universities is known to be very expensive. Many years ago, in frustration, a student wrote a check to his university payable in the amount of "an arm and a leg."