IdiomBody & SensesEnglish

body English

Meaning: Subtle body movements a person makes to coax a moving object toward a desired direction, as if willing it through physical effort.

Example: “He used a lot of body English, leaning left as if that would steer the bowling ball.”

Origin: From the visual practice of contorting one's body while watching a rolling ball or sliding puck, as if the motion could influence its path.

More idioms — Body & Senses

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More English idioms

  • above the salt Of high social rank, importance, or honor.
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  • break the mold To abandon convention and do something radically new or different.
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