IdiomBody & Senses
English
Englishgive someone the shirt off one's back
Meaning: To give (figuratively) someone all one's possessions; to be very generous.
Example: “Grandpa would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.”
Origin: A shirt was the last and most basic garment a person had, worn next to the skin. Someone willing to give even that holds nothing back. The idea is found in English from the 18th and 19th centuries.
More English idioms
- head and shoulders above At a much higher level.
- have one's head in the clouds To be impractical or absent-minded; to be unaware of what is going on around one.
- head over heels in love Very much in love; uncontrollably in love.
- heart to heart Serious and intimate.
- hit the nail on the head To come to the right conclusion.
- not hold one's breath To not wait for something to happen because it probably won't happen soon, if at all.
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