Advanced Body Idioms

An idiom is an expression used that cannot be easily understood by the meaning of each word separately.

Often an idiom, such as under the weather, does not seem to make sense if taken literally. Someone unfamiliar with English idioms would probably not understand that to be under the weather is to be sick.

Body Idioms

1. get/have a lump in one's throat
"I get a lump in my throat when I think about my grandfather, he died last year."

2. go for the jugular
"The journalist went for the jugular when interviewing the politician."

3. have a chip on one's shoulder
"He doesn't like to be criticised. He seems to have a real chip on his shoulder."

4. have one's back to the wall/up against the wall
"The Italian team has its back against the wall. They have to win their next game."

5. blood runs cold
"Thinking about what it must have been like on that plane when it crashed makes my blood run cold."

6. go/be belly up
"The restaurant went belly up just six months after opening."

7. bust a gut (to do something)
"I busted a gut over the weekend to get this report finished on time."

8. contemplate one's navel
"She spends too much time contemplating her navel and not doing anything."

• a. Attack someone in a way that you know will harm them most
  
  go for the jugular
  get/have a lump in one's throat
  blood runs cold
  have one's back to the wall
  
  
• b. Feel like there is something in your throat as if you were going to cry
  
  have a chip on one's shoulder
  bust a gut
  have one's back to the wall
  get/have a lump in one's throat
  
  
• c. Be in a defensive position
  
  blood runs cold
  contemplate one's navel
  go/be belly up
  have one's back to the wall
  
  
• d. Have a tendency to try to get in a conflict with others
  
  bust a gut
  blood runs cold
  go for the jugular
  have a chip on one's shoulder
  
  
• e. Spend a lot of time thinking about one's own problems rather than being concerned about more important things
  
  get/have a lump in one's throat
  go for the jugular
  contemplate one's navel
  go/be belly up
  
  
• f. (a company) fails or goes bankrupt
  
  go/be belly up
  have a chip on one's shoulder
  bust a gut
  go for the jugular
  
  
• g. Work very hard, strain oneself to do something
  
  bust a gut
  have a chip on one's shoulder
  get/have a lump in one's throat
  go for the jugular
  
  
• h. One is terrified or horrified
  
  blood runs cold
  go/be belly up
  contemplate one's navel
  go for the jugular