To know something like the back of your hand

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Rob Hello and welcome to The English We Speak. I’m Rob and joining me today is Helen.

Helen Hello everyone. Hey Rob, I hear you have a holiday coming up soon.

Rob Oh yes, we booked a trip to China to visit the home of pandas.

Helen Do you mean Chengdu?

Rob I do, yes. We are stopping there for a few days and then to Hong Kong for two weeks.

Helen You know Chengdu is my home town? I grew up there.

Rob Oh, I didn’t know that. Ha! So you must know the place like the back of your hand.

Helen The back of my hand? Well I know my hands pretty well, but they are just my hands - very ordinary.

Rob Oh, it’s a very common expression Helen. We use it to say that we know somewhere very well, or to talk about an extremely familiar place. You hear people say it all the time. Here are a few examples.

Examples He knows the building like the back of his hand.

She lived in the village all her life, and knows the area like the back of her hand.

Helen So, is this phrase only used when talking about places? Or you can use it to talk about other things?

Rob Well, it can used to describe things we know very well. It’s not just limited to places. Here are some more examples:

Examples Jenny knows that book like the back of her hand. She has read it at least twenty times.

Max knows the Bond films like the back of his hand; he could recite the whole script of all of them.

Rob So Helen, since you lived in Chengdu for many years, have you got any recommendations for good places to visit in Chengdu?

Helen Actually, the city has changed so much; I would be lost there like any other visitor. But my cousin still lives there. He definitely knows the city like the back of his hand.

Rob Well maybe I should give him a call.

Helen I’m sure he’ll be happy to help.

Rob Great!

Helen Have a good trip then.

Rob Thanks.

Both Bye!