Joined at the hip 🔗🦵

Meaning

Describes two people who are exceptionally close and spend almost all their time together.

Origin

The vivid image behind "joined at the hip" comes from the rare but compelling reality of conjoined twins. While such births have occurred throughout history, the phrase gained its modern idiomatic power largely thanks to Chang and Eng Bunker, the famous "Siamese twins" born in 1811. Though they were actually joined at the sternum and shared a liver, the public imagination simplified their bond to being "joined at the hip." Their incredible story of shared life, travel, marriage, and family, which captivated audiences worldwide in the 19th century, transformed a literal medical condition into a powerful metaphor for two individuals who are utterly inseparable, always together, and profoundly connected. The phrase solidified in the 20th century as a common descriptor for an unyielding closeness.

Joined at the hip represented with emoji🔗🦵

This playful pairing of a link and a leg functions as a whimsical visual pun, eschewing literal representation to capture the spirit of inseparable companionship. It teaches the viewer to see beyond the obvious, highlighting how simple symbols can evoke the complex emotional bond of being 'joined at the hip'.

Examples

• Ever since they started kindergarten, those two best friends have been joined at the hip.
• The new interns were joined at the hip, constantly collaborating on projects and taking lunch breaks together.