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Angliholic Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Risk life and limb

The father loved his daughter, so he was willing to risk life and limb to save her from danger.

Hi,

Aren't life and limb in the above countable? If yes, why doesn't the sentence use the pural "lives and limbs?" Thanks.
  

Top answer

Hi, The phrase "to risk life and limb" is already an idiom. It means that someone does something very dangerous that may hurt him. Since we're talking about an idiom, you needn't change it to the plural form ("lives and limbs").

— Regards

  • Hi, The phrase "to risk life and limb" is already an idiom.
  • It means that someone does something very dangerous that may hurt him.
  • Since we're talking about an idiom, you needn't change it to the plural form ("lives and limbs").
  • Regards
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3 Answers
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Hi,

The phrase "to risk life and limb" is already an idiom. It means that someone does something very dangerous that may hurt him. Since we're talking about an idiom, you needn't change it to the plural form ("lives and limbs").

Regards
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Hi,

Risk life and limb is an idiom and can not be changed whether it is grammatical or ungrammatical .So there is no question of countable or uncountable.
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