Why Do We 'Pay Through the Nose' for Costly Things?
2020-09-20
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1And now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.
2On this program we teach common words and expressions in American English.
3Some things in life are free. Other things cost a little money.
4And many other things cost us a lot.
5On today's program we will talk about that last group.
6Things that cost a lot are expensive.
7We often do not mind paying a lot for high quality goods or services.
8Some things are just worth it.
9But a few things have unreasonably high price tags.
10I am sure we have all paid way too much for something at some point in our lives.
11To describe situations like these, we often use two expressions involving body parts.
12Each of these expressions has a verb.
13But one of them is more active.
14It is to pay through the nose.
15The other expression is to cost an arm and a leg. Here, the verb "cost" is more passive.
16Both sayings mean to pay a lot - in fact, too much money - for something.
17For example, if you paid an unreasonably high price for the latest computer, you paid through the nose.
18You can also say the new computer cost an arm and a leg.
19For our next example, let's get on a plane and go on a trip!
20Traveling is often expensive, especially if you do not plan ahead.
21When booking a flight at the last minute, it can cost you an arm and a leg.
22And if you stay in the best hotels in big cities like London, Rome, or Tokyo, you will most likely pay through the nose.
23Now, let's hear another example.
24Wow, I love your car! What year is it?
25It is a 1968 Ford Mustang.
261968?! I bet you paid through the nose to get it fixed up.
27Actually, I did most of the work myself. So, that saved me a ton of money.
28What about finding parts? Old car parts can cost an arm and a leg.
29The car had most of its original parts. And my sister had some extra Mustang parts. So, she gave them to me. That saved money, too!
30You are so lucky. Most people pay a lot for a car like this.
31True. I didn't pay the high price tag that usually comes with a 1968 Mustang. But luck only played a small part. I worked really hard on this car!
32You just heard how the two "body part" expressions can be used.
33But where did these expressions come from? Well, word historians are not so sure.
34The saying "to cost an arm and a leg" may have come from soldiers returning from war.
35Those missing arms or legs were said to have paid a very high price.
36To pay through the nose may come from paying taxes.
37In some cultures, tax collectors were said to count people's noses to get an idea of how many people lived in a town or village.
38Again, this word origin is debated among word historians.
39Well, that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories!
40Remember ... some English teaching products can cost you an arm and a leg.
41But not VOA Learning English.
42Our stories and videos are free.
43There's no need to pay through the nose to learn English with us!
44Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.
1And now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English. 2On this program we teach common words and expressions in American English. 3Some things in life are free. Other things cost a little money. And many other things cost us a lot. On today's program we will talk about that last group. 4Things that cost a lot are expensive. We often do not mind paying a lot for high quality goods or services. Some things are just worth it. But a few things have unreasonably high price tags. I am sure we have all paid way too much for something at some point in our lives. 5To describe situations like these, we often use two expressions involving body parts. Each of these expressions has a verb. But one of them is more active. It is to pay through the nose. 6The other expression is to cost an arm and a leg. Here, the verb "cost" is more passive. 7Both sayings mean to pay a lot - in fact, too much money - for something. For example, if you paid an unreasonably high price for the latest computer, you paid through the nose. You can also say the new computer cost an arm and a leg. 8For our next example, let's get on a plane and go on a trip! 9Traveling is often expensive, especially if you do not plan ahead. When booking a flight at the last minute, it can cost you an arm and a leg. And if you stay in the best hotels in big cities like London, Rome, or Tokyo, you will most likely pay through the nose. 10Now, let's hear another example. 11Wow, I love your car! What year is it? 12It is a 1968 Ford Mustang. 131968?! I bet you paid through the nose to get it fixed up. 14Actually, I did most of the work myself. So, that saved me a ton of money. 15What about finding parts? Old car parts can cost an arm and a leg. 16The car had most of its original parts. And my sister had some extra Mustang parts. So, she gave them to me. That saved money, too! 17You are so lucky. Most people pay a lot for a car like this. 18True. I didn't pay the high price tag that usually comes with a 1968 Mustang. But luck only played a small part. I worked really hard on this car! 19You just heard how the two "body part" expressions can be used. 20But where did these expressions come from? Well, word historians are not so sure. 21The saying "to cost an arm and a leg" may have come from soldiers returning from war. Those missing arms or legs were said to have paid a very high price. 22To pay through the nose may come from paying taxes. In some cultures, tax collectors were said to count people's noses to get an idea of how many people lived in a town or village. Again, this word origin is debated among word historians. 23Well, that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories! 24Remember ... some English teaching products can cost you an arm and a leg. But not VOA Learning English. Our stories and videos are free. There's no need to pay through the nose to learn English with us! 25Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo. 26Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 27_______________________________________________________________ 28Words in This Story 29price tag - n. a piece of paper or plastic that is attached to a product and that has the product's price written or printed on it : the amount of money that something costs 30passive - adj. showing that the subject of a sentence is acted on or affected by the verb 31ahead - adv. in, into, or for the future 32origin - n. rise, beginning, or derivation from a source