Common Myths (and Why They’re Wrong)

• Painters Charged Extra for Limbs
  Let’s debunk some common myths.  First up, the idea that portrait artists charged extra for limbs.  This is a misconception.  In reality, artists are billed by the size and complexity of the portrait, not by the number of body parts.  There’s zero evidence of limb-based pricing.
• War Sacrifice Origin
  Romantic idea, but wrong.  The idiom appears in print decades after World War II—no direct link to soldiers losing limbs.
• Shakespeare Coined It
  Sorry, Bard fans.  This phrase is modern American slang, not Elizabethan poetry.

The Truth: A Timeline

• Pre-20th Century Roots
  Older idioms like “costs the earth” and “costs a leg” existed in English, expressing extreme expense.
• 1940s–1950s: First Documented Use
  The whole phrase “costs an arm and a leg” surfaces in American newspapers and magazines.  Linguists believe it was a natural exaggeration, building on earlier phrases.
• Post-War Popularity
  The phrase gains traction in everyday speech during the economic boom years, when luxury items felt like significant sacrifices.
• Late 20th Century: Global Spread
  By the 1970s and 1980s, ‘It costs an arm and a leg’ had become entrenched in English worldwide, appearing in books, advertisements, and popular culture.  Its global spread is a testament to the shared experiences of financial strain that we can all relate to.

Why It Stuck

It’s vivid, relatable, and hyperbolic—perfect for expressing financial pain without sounding clinical.  No limbs were harmed in the making of this idiom.

So, let’s set the record straight.  Forget the painters, soldiers, and Shakespeare.  This phrase, ‘It costs an arm and a leg,’ is a mid-century American exaggeration that evolved from older cost-related idioms.  Now that we’ve traced its real evolution, you’re armed with the truth.