首しゅ足そく

noun

head and limbs; the body

Rare literary or classical term for the body as a whole, literally 'head and legs'. Not used in everyday modern Japanese; encountered mainly in older texts or fixed expressions.

• 古こ文ぶん書しょに「首しゅ足そくを全まっとうす」という表ひょう現げんが見みられる。

  In old documents, the expression 'to keep one's head and limbs intact' (i.e., to stay alive and whole) can be found.