English Idiom – Twist Somebody’s Arm.

Meaning –  To persuade somebody to do something that they do not want to do. To put pressure on someone in order to get them to do something. To coerce somebody.

This idiomatic expression can also be used in a sarcastic or humorous way by someone who is only pretending that they have to be persuaded to do something.

The verb twist means to cause to rotate or turn in another direction.

The idiom cost an arm and a leg can be used to describe something that cost a lot of money.

Example:

  • “If you twist my arm I’ll stay for one more cuppa!”

In The News:

“He didn’t want to do a leading man,” Cameron explains. “I had to really twist his arm to be in the movie. He didn’t want to do it. He thought it was boring.”

Listen:

Discuss:

  • Is there an idiom like this in your country?

What is an idiom?

An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally.  An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words, but has a separate meaning of its own.

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