Body Part Idioms

Meter la pata, tomar el pelo, echar un ojo. 20+ colorful idioms using body parts.

Head & face idioms

IdiomLiteralReal meaning
romperse la cabezabreak one's headto rack one's brain
no tener pelos en la lenguano hairs on the tongueto be blunt / speak one's mind
tomar el pelo (a alguien)take someone's hairto pull someone's leg / tease
dar la caragive the faceto face up to / take responsibility
echar un ojothrow an eyeto take a look / keep an eye on
hablar por los codostalk through the elbowsto talk too much

Hands & arms

IdiomLiteralReal meaning
echar una manothrow a handto help out
meter la manoput in the handto steal / get involved
estar mano sobre manohand on handto be doing nothing / idle
con los brazos abiertoswith open armswarmly / with open arms
dar el brazo a torcergive arm to twistto give in / back down

Legs & feet

IdiomLiteralReal meaning
meter la pataput in the pawto put your foot in it / mess up
no dar pie con bolanot hit ball with footto not get anything right
con el pie derechowith the right footon the right foot / good start
poner pies en polvorosaput feet in dusty groundto run away fast
buscarle tres pies al gatolook for 3 feet on a catto overcomplicate things

Heart, stomach & other body parts

More colorful expressions

Tener el corazón en un puño. (Heart in a fist. = To be extremely anxious.)
Tener algo en la punta de la lengua. (On the tip of the tongue. = Almost remember it.)
Tener estómago. (Have stomach. = To have guts/stomach for something.)
Ser el ojo derecho de alguien. (Be someone's right eye. = Be someone's favorite.)
Costar un ojo de la cara. (Cost an eye from the face. = Cost an arm and a leg.)
Encogerse de hombros. (Shrink shoulders. = To shrug.)

Quick quiz

1. To mess up = meter la _____.

2. To pull someone's leg = tomar el _____.

3. To help out = echar una _____.

4. Cost an arm and a leg = costar un ojo de la _____.

5. To talk too much = hablar por los _____.

6. To take a look = echar un _____.

7. On the tip of my tongue = en la punta de la _____.

8. With open arms = con los brazos _____.

9. To face up to = dar la _____.

10. To shrug = encogerse de _____.

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