life and limb

life and limb

One's bodily wellbeing, up to and including one's life. Usually used when describing something that might cause severe injury or death, especially in the phrase "risk life and limb." Today we pay our respects to the brave men and women who risk life and limb every day to keep our country safe. I'm sure it's thrilling, but I'd rather not chance life and limb just for a bit of an adrenaline rush.
See also: and, life, limb
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

life and limb

life and all bodily faculties.
1993 Vanity Fair Castro is particularly irked by the bad press Cuba gets concerning…the rafters who risk life and limb to get to Florida.
See also: and, life, limb
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • (one's) jollies
  • be remembered as (something)
  • be remembered as/for something
  • at doorstep
  • at (one's) doorstep
  • a ball and chain
  • ball and chain
  • at (one's) expense
  • at expense
  • at somebody's expense
References in periodicals archive
Now Life and Limb: the Toll of the American Civil War, which opens late at the University of Liverpool on May 15, looks at the physical effect conflict has on people.
Life and Limb - a US National Library of Medicine travelling exhibition - draws on all these themes, historical and modern, to show both the terrible price of war and also the amazing discoveries and advances which have sometimes been born from tragedy.
A companion book, Life and Limb: Perspectives on the American Civil War, will also be published by Liverpool University Press.
Our results show that although not excellent limbs that are salvaged with crural or pedal bypasses may provide a moderate quality of life and limb function despite an associated minor amputation.
The companies say the beers "are dedicated to beer drinkers and enthusiasts worldwide" who continue to support the small brewers "who risk life and limb to shape the vibrant craft-brewing community."
LOLLIPOP lady Lesley Sutton, one of hundreds of saints who risk life and limb daily to let the little treasures in our lives cross the road safely, is fully justified in her resignation.
nature journey in which volunteer mushers and their dogs risk life and limb to relay the precious cargo over 600 miles to Nome.
Men and women and children in many countries still cannot go about their daily lives without risk to life and limb. Casualties still occur at a terrible rate and hundreds of thousands of landmine accident survivors still need help.
One former social work director said: "Life and limb means that only those who are going to kill themselves or someone else would be considered for a place."
Summary: New Delhi, [India], July 10 (Newsvoir): "There is an urgent need to raise awareness about Sarcoma, the cancer of Bone and Soft tissues, to save life and limbs of young people who are falling prey to this cancer.