IdiomBody & Senses
Japanese
Japanese喉から手が出る (Nodo kara te ga deru)
Meaning: To want something so badly you can hardly bear it.
Literally: A hand comes out of the throat
Example: “あの限定スニーカーは喉から手が出るほど欲しい。” — I'd give my eyeteeth for those limited-edition sneakers.
English equivalent: To give one's eyeteeth for something
Equivalents in other languages
English: give one's eyeteeth for something
Origin: Wanting something so badly that a hand seems to reach out from one's throat to grab it. The phrase is a vivid exaggeration of desire and has no particular story behind it.
More Japanese idioms
- 棚から牡丹餅 (Tana kara botamochi) An unexpected stroke of good luck.
- 月とすっぽん (Tsuki to suppon) Two things alike at a glance but worlds apart.
- 釘を刺す (kugi o sasu) To remind someone firmly so they can't back out.
- 顔から火が出る (kao kara hi ga deru) To burn with embarrassment.
- 一石二鳥 (Isseki nichō) Getting two results from a single action.
- 目くそ鼻くそを笑う (Mekuso hanakuso o warau) Mocking someone else's faults without noticing you have the same ones.
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- 隣の客はよく柿食う客だ (Tonari no kyaku wa yoku kaki kuu kyaku da) A tricky spiral on ka/ki/ku that accelerates as you try to keep the syllables distinct.
- なまむぎ なまごめ なまたまご (Nama mugi, nama gome, nama tamago) A nimble warm-up for the Japanese 'na / ma / ge' syllables.
- 東京特許許可局 (Tōkyō tokkyo kyokakyoku) A machine-gun of 'kyo' / 'kyoku' sounds.
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