The elbow is the joint in the middle of the arm that connects the forearm and the upper arm.  The plural is ‘elbows’.

 

FUN FACT – It’s often be referred to as the funny bone. This is quite ironic as when you accidentally hit it against something, it really isn’t that funny!

elbow idioms list

Let’s look at some popular body idioms that contain the word ‘elbow’.

  • elbow grease
    meaning – hard physical work
    example – It looks like you put a lot of elbow grease into cleaning the kitchen.
  • elbow room
    meaning – sufficient space to move or work
    example – I’m not booking tickets in the front row again. There was no elbow room, and someone knocked over my drink.
  • give someone the elbow
    meaning – reject or dismiss someone
    example – Sammy only worked with us for 3 weeks before he was given the elbow.

elbow idioms list with pictures

Here’s some real life picture examples.

idiomatic expressions with body parts - elbow
elbow idioms - elbow grease
elbow idioms - give someone the elbow

You can download a table of ‘elbow’ idioms and expressions below.

If you’ve enjoyed this page, don’t forget to check out some more body idioms by clicking on the links below.