The backbone of our language

From Head to Toe: The weird origins of body-part idioms!

Image: Lidia Nemiroff

Your body does a lot more than move you around; it even slips into the way you talk. From head to toe, clever idioms using body parts are a staple of everyday conversation. If you want to learn more about what these 10 idioms really mean and how they started, keep reading!

Image: Sebastian Dumitru

After the argument, she kept her coworker at arm’s length to avoid more drama.

Remember that friend-of-a-friend you’re not so sure about? The one you’d rather not let get too close? That’s someone you keep "at arm’s length." This common phrase comes from the old practice of measuring distances with body parts (not so old, really; we still measure in feet), and an early version even shows up in Shakespeare’s 1599 play As You Like It, where the line goes: "Hold death awhile at arm’s end."

Image: Lina Trochez

When my car broke down, a kind stranger stopped to lend me a hand.

Many expressions we use figuratively today started out in very literal situations. That’s the case with "to lend a hand," which originally referred to physically using your hands to help someone with a task. Over time, the meaning expanded, and the phrase can now be used for any kind of help.

Image: Lala Azizli

His birthday is on the tip of my tongue… wait, is it next Thursday?

You’re chatting with your best friend, remembering old times, when a familiar song pops into your head. You remember the lyrics perfectly, but who was the singer? Ahh… It’s on the "tip of your tongue"! Used in English since the 16th century, this idiom describes those moments when something feels just within reach but doesn’t fully come to mind.

Image: Siora Photography

Ever since they met, he’s been head over heels for her.

When was the last time you were completely captivated by someone or something? In those moments, you could say you were "head over heels." The phrase dates back to 14th- and 15th-century English as "heels over head," originally describing literal upside-down movements. Over time, it evolved into its modern form, describing the feeling of being madly in love.

Image: Enis Yavuz

I’d give my eye teeth to get tickets to that concert!

In the past, canines (often called eye teeth because they sit just below the eyes) were among the most important teeth. Losing one was a big deal, which likely explains the origin of this idiom. It’s still used today to describe a major sacrifice or something someone desperately wants.

Image: kyle smith

I bet your ears are burning after that email went around the office.

It turns out your ears can "burn" even when there’s no infection. This kind of burning has a different interpretation: it means someone is talking about you behind your back. It’s not always negative, but it does involve gossip. The idiom comes from ancient beliefs that physical sensations in the body could indicate external events.

Image: Lucrezia Carnelos

Renovating the old house is going to cost us an arm and a leg.

When something costs an arm and a leg, it means it’s extremely expensive or requires a big sacrifice. There are two main theories about its origin: one, now widely regarded as a myth, suggests that in the 15th century, artists charged more if a portrait included the subject’s arms or legs. The other theory links the phrase to the serious physical sacrifices soldiers can make in war.

Image: Atakan Narman

Break a leg at the competition; everyone’s rooting for you.

When you tell your singer friend to "break a leg," you’re not wishing them anything bad; in fact, it’s the opposite. This idiom comes from old theater superstitions, where saying "good luck" was thought to bring exactly the contrary. To avoid tempting fate, people would say something negative to actually wish someone something positive.

Image: Kelly Sikkema

He cried his heart out after saying goodbye to his childhood home.

Since ancient times, people have believed that the heart is where emotions live. So when you "cry your heart out," you’re letting out all your feelings, often very intensely. The phrase usually reflects pain, sadness, ordeep emotional suffering.

Image: Zach Lucero

Even though we argued, he’s still my flesh and blood, and I’ll always protect him.

This idiom is much less creepy than it might sound at first. To be someone’s "flesh and blood" means you are part of their family, or are treated as if you were. Some sources trace one of the earliest uses of this phrase to an Old English translation of the Bible, specifically in Matthew 16:17.

The truth about your brain

You won’t believe what happens in your brain while you sleep

Image: Milad Fakurian

Your brain is one of the most powerful and mysterious organs in your body. It controls everything from your thoughts to your emotions and even processes information at lightning speed. But how much do you really know about it? Some long-believed myths about the brain have been debunked, while other surprising facts reveal just how incredible this organ truly is. Get ready to be amazed by these fascinating brain facts!

Image: Natasha Connell

You’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s completely false! While it’s true that not all parts of the brain fire at the same time, imaging studies show that most regions are active throughout the day, even when we sleep.

Your brain is constantly working, controlling bodily functions and emotions, and processing information. So next time someone says you’re only using 10% of your brain, you can confidently tell them that’s just a myth!

Image: Aarón Blanco Tejedor

Here’s a weird fact: While your brain processes pain signals from the rest of your body, it has no pain receptors of its own. This is why surgeons can perform brain surgery on conscious patients without causing them pain.

However, the membranes and tissues surrounding the brain do have pain receptors, which is why headaches and brain injuries can be so excruciating.

Image: Usman Yousaf

How come we have headaches if the brain has no pain receptors? Well, that’s because headaches are triggered by chemical activity in the brain, changes in nerves and blood vessels, and even fluctuating serotonin levels.

In some cases, hormones like estrogen can also play a role, which explains why migraines are more common in women.

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Dreams are proof that your brain never rests! (Warning: this fact can make you feel exhausted.) While you sleep, your limbic system, that is, the part of the brain that deals with emotions, becomes especially active, which is why dreams often feel so intense.

On average, humans experience four to seven dreams per night, even if we don’t always remember them. And what about that scary nightmare about falling? Well, you can thank your amygdala, the brain’s fear center, for that one.

Image: Brett Jordan

Have you ever walked into a room and instantly forgotten what you were after? That’s because short-term memory only lasts about 20-30 seconds! That’s not enough!

Your brain holds a limited amount of information in its active state before deciding whether to store it or discard it. Ironically, we can’t really choose what makes the cut, but we do hope these facts stay with you!

Image: BUDDHI Kumar SHRESTHA

That sharp, icy pain when you eat something too cold? It’s your brain’s way of telling you to slow down! Officially called sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, a brain freeze happens when cold food or drinks rapidly chill the blood vessels in your throat, causing them to constrict and then rapidly expand. This sends pain signals to your brain, warning you of the sudden temperature shift. It’s annoying, but it’s actually your body trying to protect itself!

Image: Josh Riemer

You didn’t need us to tell you, but let’s look at the details: The average person has between 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts per day. What’s even more interesting? 95% of those thoughts are the same ones you had yesterday. Is that not surprising enough? Hear this out: 80% of them tend to be negative. That’s because our brains are wired for survival, constantly analyzing risks and potential dangers.

Image: Terry Vlisidis

Even though it only makes up about 2% of your body weight, your brain employs a major quantity of energy! It consumes 20% of your oxygen and blood supply, making it one of the most demanding organs in your body.

If your brain goes without oxygen for just five minutes, brain cells start dying, leading to irreversible damage. This is why deep breathing and cardiovascular exercise are great for brain health!

Image: Alexander Andrews

Do you know that feeling when you hit the back of your head and see stars? That’s because your occipital lobe, which controls vision, is located at the back of your brain. If you get hit there, your brain momentarily misfires, causing flashes of light.

Interestingly, your brain processes vision on the opposite side; while your right brain controls your left eye, your left brain controls your right eye. It’s one of the many ways the brain operates in a complex way.

Image: Rodion Kutsaiev

Believe it or not, your brain generates between 12 and 25 watts of electricity when you’re awake. If you can’t really grasp how powerful that is, check this out: It’s enough to power a small light bulb! Your brain’s electrical activity is what allows neurons to send signals at speeds of up to 260 miles per hour.

Image: Robina Weermeijer

Your brain may be the fattiest organ in your body, consisting of at least 60% fat! This is why consuming healthy fats, like omega-3s and omega-6s present in fish, for example, is essential for brain health.

Healthy fats stabilize brain cell walls, reduce inflammation, and support cognitive function. So go ahead and enjoy that avocado toast, it’s food for your brain!

Image: Robina Weermeijer

It’s not just your memory that fades over time; the brain itself physically shrinks as one gets older. It continues developing until your late 40s, but after that, it slowly decreases in size.

Now, size doesn’t equal intelligence, so a smaller brain doesn’t necessarily mean a less capable one. Staying mentally active, exercising, and eating brain-boosting foods can help keep it in top shape!

Image: Lisa Yount

We often think of cholesterol as bad, but your brain actually depends on it! In fact, 25% of your body’s cholesterol is stored in your brain, where it helps with learning and memory. However, unlike other organs, the brain can’t absorb cholesterol from the blood, it has to produce its own. So, while too much cholesterol in the body can be harmful, the right amount is vital for brain function. At least you can use that as an excuse to get that burger!