to cost the earth
1
6.6
- idiom
- UK
:
costar un ojo de la cara
- The repairs on my car took longer than expected and cost the earth due to all the unexpected issues.
Just wanted to get rid of that high price point for synthetic brushes because I knew I could make really good synthetic brushes that did not cost the earth.
- Just wanted to get rid of that high price point for synthetic brushes because I knew I could make really good synthetic brushes that did not cost the earth.
Examples
-
May-may, it cost the earth.!
-
Many people believe that luxury brands cost the earth, making them unaffordable for the average consumer.
-
Choosing organic food can be healthier, but it often costs the earth compared to non-organic options.
Antonyms
How Expensive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'cost' retains its literal sense of requiring payment, but 'the earth' is used metaphorically to mean 'a great deal' or 'the whole world', so the sense 'extremely expensive' is only partially derivable from the parts. A B1 learner who knows the constituents might guess that it means very costly, but the conventionalized metaphor may not be fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Cost the earth paints a clear picture: if something cost the earth, it is like having to buy the whole planet and spend everything you have. So it came to mean 'to be very expensive'.