Read Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook Online
Authors: Gail Brenner
Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook (39 page)
not have a leg to stand on
to have no support or justification for one’s case ♦
He was drunk when the accident happened, so he
doesn’t have a leg to stand on
in court.
♦
You
don’t have a leg to stand on,
Buddy. We already know the real story because your partner confessed.
on one’s last leg
almost worn out; ready to collapse; close to dying ♦
This old refrigerator is
on its last leg.
We’ll need to buy a new one soon.
♦
He is 92 years old and
on his last leg,
but he still has a great attitude.
pull someone’s leg
to tease, trick, or joke with someone in a harmless way; also used to ask if someone is joking; always used with the singular
leg
♦
Don’t believe him; he’s just
pulling your leg. ♦
I’m just
pulling your leg.
I don’t really own a Ferrari.
shake a leg
to hurry up, to get up and get going and not dawdle ♦
Tom, you’d better
shake a leg
or you’ll be late for school
. ♦
Oops. I’ve got to
shake a leg
if I want to be home in time for dinner.
The Feet
The feet are featured in many idioms and expressions that have a variety of meanings. The following idioms use
foot
or
feet,
and are organized by similar wording or similar meaning.
Feet That Touch (or Don’t Touch) the Ground
The feet give one something to stand on, and when both feet are firmly on the ground, one is stable and isn’t going to fall over. If one has
both feet on the ground
, one is stable emotionally and mentally, one is solid and self-sufficient. Here are some other expressions that imply standing firm:
be back on one’s feet
to be physically well or economically stable again ♦
I was really sick for awhile, but
I’m back on my feet
now.
♦
Their business nearly went bankrupt after the fire, but they’re beginning to get
back on their feet
again.
land on one’s feet
to come out of any difficult situation successfully. Alludes to a common misconception regarding a cat’s ability to land on its feet no matter how far it falls. ♦
Just as her company was going bankrupt, she was offered a much better position elsewhere. She always seems to
land on her feet. ♦
You may have hard times in life, but you’ll do fine if you learn how to
land on your feet.
stand on one’s own two feet
to be independent and self-sufficient, both economically and emotionally; to support oneself without help ♦
Becoming an adult means
standing on your own two feet. ♦
Your son will never learn to
stand on his own two feet
if you keep paying his bills.
In contrast to having one’s feet on the ground, if one’s
feet haven’t touched the ground
for a while, it means that one is very happy, elated. This usually happens because of love or joyous news. People also say that one is
walking on air.
Here are some examples:
- Since they met their
feet haven’t touched the ground. - When I heard that our sons were coming home from the war my
feet didn’t touch the ground
for weeks.
Another idiom that refers to one’s feet not being on the ground is
swept off one’s feet
, meaning that a person has been overwhelmed by something wonderful or awesome. Again, it’s often love that can sweep one off one’s feet, but other passionate things can too. This expression is also put in the active voice,
to sweep someone off his
(or
her
)
feet.
- She was
swept off her feet
by his charm and good looks. - The stark beauty of the glaciers just
swept me off my feet.
On and Off One’s Feet
The idiom
on foot
simply means to walk, as opposed to using other means of transportation. See the following examples:
- You can get there
on foot,
but it’s a long walk. - I had to come
on foot
because my car is in the repair shop.
To
be
on one’s feet
means to be standing or walking, and not able to sit down or rest, for example, while at work or shopping and running errands. People don’t commonly use this expression to talk about hiking or walking for pleasure. Here are some examples:
- He’s
on his feet
all day in his job as a mail carrier. - Boy, I’m tired. I’ve been
on my feet
all day running errands.
To
get off one’s feet
is the opposite of being on one’s feet. It means to be able to sit down, to stop standing or walking. Sometimes people say
take a load off (one’s feet).
Here are some examples:
- I need to
get off my feet.
I’ve been on them all day long shopping. - Welcome home. Come sit down and
take a load off your feet.
Putting Feet Up and Down
To
put one’s feet up
and to
put one’s feet down
have two completely different meanings:
put one’s feet up
to sit or lie down and elevate one’s feet; to relax ♦ Put your feet up
for awhile. It might help you feel better.
♦
I am so tired I just can’t wait to get home and
put my feet up.
put one’s foot down
to disallow or stop some action; to assert one’s authority by saying no; always said with the singular
foot
♦
We give our teenage daughter a lot of freedom, but when she wanted to get a tattoo we
put our foot down. ♦
I had a lot of pets when I was a kid, but my parents
put their foot down
when I brought home a goat.
The Right Foot and the Wrong Foot
If you
start on the right foot
, you begin something well prepared and with the right attitude; you start in a way that is likely to bring success. Here is an example:
- Start the school year
on the right foot:
Have your supplies and your books, and arrive on time to class.
On the other hand, if you
start on the wrong foot
, you begin something unprepared, or you start something that already has problems; you start in a way that is likely to fail. See the following example:
- Don’t start your marriage
on the wrong foot.
See a counselor and work out your problems before you take your vows.
Either
out
or
off
can be inserted between
start
and
on
in these two idioms. Here are some examples:
- We started
off
our vacation
on the right foot
by spending a night in New York City. - The trip started
out on the wrong foot
when we missed our plane, and our luggage ended up in Spain.
Cold Feet and Hot Footing It
Here are some idioms using
cold
and
hot
in conjunction with feet:
get cold feet
to become hesitant and apprehensive, and decide at the last minute not to do something. This expression is generally used to talk about marriage and business deals. ♦
She
got cold feet
and cancelled her wedding just one week before the ceremony.
♦
We almost bought that house, but we
got cold feet
when we saw the home inspector’s report.
hotfoot it
to leave in a hurry, usually to escape or avoid being caught ♦
When the graffiti writers saw the police car pull up, they
hotfooted it. ♦
I’m not ashamed to
hot-foot it
if some big guy on the street wants to start a fight.
Putting One Foot Somewhere
The following idioms refer to using one foot only:
put one’s best foot forward
to present or show the very best of oneself; to act or do one’s very best ♦
In a job interview, you have to
put your best foot forward. ♦
On a first date, always
put your best foot forward and
dress to impress.
get one’s foot in the door
to succeed in the first small step toward a larger opportunity or success; often used in a business context. Alludes to a door-to-door salesman putting his foot in the doorway to prevent the door from being closed before he or she can make a sales pitch. ♦
He’s tried three times to meet with the director, but he hasn’t
gotten his foot in the door
yet.
♦
The only way to
get your foot in the door
with that company is to know someone who works there.
have one foot in the grave
to be close to death ♦
She already
had one foot in the grave
when, miraculously, she got better.
♦
I won’t stop dancing and performing until I
have one foot in the grave!
set foot somewhere
to appear somewhere or be in a specific place; often put in the negative as
not to set one’s foot somewhere
♦
I told him that if he
sets foot in here
again I’ll have him arrested
. ♦ Don’t set foot in my kitchen!
Last time you did, you made a huge mess.
[See
put one’s foot in one’s mouth
earlier in this chapter.]
A Few Other Foot Idioms
These following idioms are presented in alphabetical order:
foot the bill
to pay the bill or tab, to cover the expenses of others or pay for damage caused by others ♦
Go ahead and order anything on the menu. I’m
footing the bill. ♦
When store windows were broken on New Year’s Eve, the city had to
foot the bill.
footloose and fancy free
to be carefree, having no responsibilities or commitments ♦
Youth is a time to be
footloose and fancy free. ♦
They felt
footloose and fancy free
with their children away at summer camp for two weeks.
have a foot in both camps
to support or have an interest in two opposing sides ♦
He won’t argue with you because he
has a foot in both camps. ♦
When you
have a foot in both camps,
it’s hard to be strongly committed to either one.
Note:
An expression with a similar meaning is
riding the fence.
jump in with both feet
to commit oneself completely to something with no hesitation; to act without much forethought ♦
When I decide to do something, I usually
jump in with both feet. ♦
She was ready to
jump in with both feet
and buy the house when the inspector found cracks in the foundation.
my foot!
means “Nonsense!” “That’s ridiculous” “I don’t believe that” ♦
He was sick last week?
My foot!
I saw him on the beach playing volleyball.
♦
Budget problems,
my foot!
Administrators just gave themselves a big raise!
[See
wait on someone hand and foot
earlier in this chapter.]
the shoe is on the other foot
the situation has reversed; people have changed places and they now know how the other feels ♦
Someday, when you have your own children and
the shoe is on the other foot,
you’ll understand why we have rules in this house.
♦
He laughed when he broke my heart, but now his girlfriend has left him and
the shoe is on the other foot.
shoot oneself in the foot
to carelessly or foolishly damage one’s own interests or causes ♦
Don’t
shoot yourself in the foot
by refusing to work the shifts they ask you to. You’ll be fired.
♦
You’ll be
shooting yourself in the foot
if you push her to marry you before she’s ready.
[See also
cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face
earlier in this chapter.]
think on one’s feet
to be able to respond quickly and spontaneously to unexpected questions ♦
He’s often interviewed by reporters and has to be able
to think on his feet. ♦
I’m no good at
thinking on my feet.
I need time to formulate my ideas.
Note:
An idiom similar in meaning is
to be quick on one’s feet.
The Toes
Though there are 10 toes on the human foot, there are only a few expressions using the word
toes
and most of them include the words
on one’s toes.
To be
on one’s toes
means to be alert, attentive, and ready for anything that might happen. Here are some examples:
- I have to be
on my toes
every minute working with toddlers in the preschool. - If you’re
on your toes,
you can make money in this business.
To
keep people on their toes
means to make people stay alert, attentive, prepared, and ready for anything. This expression often refers to a training or classroom situation. Here are some examples:
