play body parts video
Usage Notes

When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes


Editor Peter Sokolowski breaks down a number of body parts with metaphorical uses as verbs, from head to toe.

Transcript:

Many parts of the body can be used as verbs in either a physical or a metaphorical sense. You can head a company, but if things go wrong you'll have to shoulder the blame, or face your investors. A good leader backs their employees, but if you don't toe the line you might get skinned. Did you muscle your way into that job? You might eye someone suspiciously, or wait for the police to finger a suspect. But if you need to get out of town, try thumbing a ride. You can ride with me if you can stomach the thought. I don't always sing along to the radio, but you might see me mouthing the words.

Up next

play body parts video
When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

 

Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes

play there theyre their video
There, They're, Their

 

There, there. We'll sort it out.

play image1815466723
How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

 

And is one way more correct than the others?

play video soup vs soop
An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

 

Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut

play contractions
On Contractions of Multiple Words

 

You all would not have guessed some of these

play emily brewster and one and the same text graphic
'One in the same' or 'One and the same'?

 

Is it all the same anyway?