Idioms derived from the names of the parts of the body---Part----1

By Ranjana S.

Backbone:

1. Have the backbone (firmness, strength)--Mr. Thompson is useless as a leader, as he does not have a backbone to take a firm stand.
2. Be the backbone: (chief support) ---She is the backbone of this huge organization.

Arm:

1. Keep at arm's length (refraining from becoming too friendly with someone) --- He keeps his quarrelsome neighbors at arm's length.
2. With open arms: (with affection, sincerity and enthusiasm) --- He welcomed his estranged wife with open arms.

Back:

1. With one's back to the wall (in a difficult position forced to defend oneself) ---The landlady         employed goons to force him to vacate the house. Since he had no support, he fought alone           with his back to the wall.
2. Turn one's back upon :( unwilling to help)--She requested her colleague to help her out, but he turned his back upon her.
3. Break the back of something :( finish the hardest part of the work) ---Do not fret; we have already broken the back of this heavy work.
4. Put someone's back up :( make him angry) ---Her offending behavior put my back up.
5. Put one's back to something (work with full of enthusiasm and energy) ---We need to meet the deadline, so put your back to the work.

Breast:

Make a clean breast of (confess a wrongdoing) ---Earlier he refuted all accusations regarding committing the offence, but later he decided to make a clean breast of it.

Brain:

Beat one's brain (think intently and hard) ---I beat my brains to solve the riddle but failed.

Cheek:

1. Turn the other cheek (accept violent attack without being violent oneself) ---Mahatma Gandhiji espoused the non-violence policy; means if somebody hits you just turn the other cheek.
2. Cheek by jowl (close together) ---The school students are packed cheek by jowl in the school bus.

Chin:

Keep one's chin up (remain cheerful in difficult circumstances) ---We shouldn't lose hope while facing the vicissitudes life throws on us; instead we should surmount them keeping our chins up.

Chest:

Get something off one's chest (speak out the thing that is worrying one) ---If you are undergoing a challenge, you might as well get it off your chest.

Ear:

1. Turn a deaf ear :( refuse to listen to somebody or something)---She turned a deaf ear to our caveat and hence encountered this damaging situation.
2. Up to one's ears in: (deeply involved in) ---She is up to her ears in debt.

Elbow:

Elbow one's way through something (force one's way by using an elbow) --- The conference room was so crowded that I had to elbow my way through the crowd to reach the dais.

Eye:

1. Before/Under one's eyes ( in one's presence)----These unfavorable things are occurring under your own eyes, yet you are keeping silent.
2. Have an eye to (have as one's object) ----Wherever she goes, she has an eye to business.
3. In the eyes of somebody (in the judgment of somebody) ----In my eyes he seems to be a diligent and honest person.
4. Keep an eye on (keep a watch on) ---Keep an eye on this person, as his conduct is not free from suspicion.
5. Open somebody's eyes to (cause someone to realize) ---- You did a good job to open the eyes of the board to the corruption that was going on in the organization.
6. If you had half an eye (If you weren't so unobservant) ----If you had half an eye, you could have very well identified the discrepancies in this document.