foot

phrases

• back on your feet

  well or successful again after being ill or having problems

  Jim’s hoping he’ll be back on his feet by next week.

  The new measures are intended to get the business back on its feet.

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• be unsteady on your feet

  to be unable to stand or walk easily

  She was still a bit unsteady on her feet.

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• feet first

  humorous
  if someone leaves a place feet first, they are carried out of it after they are dead

  The only way I’m leaving this house is feet first!

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• get your feet wet

  mainly American informal
  to start doing something for the first time

  This one-week course offers the chance to get your feet wet.

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• get/leap/rise/stagger etc to your feet

  to stand up in a particular way after you have been sitting or lying

  Steve pushed the blankets aside and rose to his feet.

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• get off on the right/wrong foot with someone

  to immediately establish a good/bad relationship with someone when you first meet them or first start working with them

  I got off on the wrong foot with Patrick.

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• have/get cold feet

  to suddenly feel nervous about doing something that you have planned or agreed to do

  Sally got cold feet at the last moment and called off the wedding.

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• have feet of clay

  mainly literary
  if someone who you admire or respect has feet of clay, they are not perfect because they have serious faults

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• have/keep your feet on the ground

  to keep a sensible and practical attitude to life

  Despite her sudden wealth and fame, she manages to keep her feet firmly on the ground.

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• have a foot in both camps

  to be friendly with and accepted by two groups of people who oppose each other

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• have one foot in the grave

  humorous
  to be very old or ill and likely to die soon

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• land/fall on your feet

  to be lucky and get into a good situation after being in a difficult one

  Simon always manages to land on his feet.

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• my foot

  old-fashioned
  used for saying that you do not believe or agree with something that someone has said

  ‘She’s an outstanding actress.’ ‘Outstanding my foot!’

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• not put a foot wrong

  to do nothing wrong and not make any mistakes

  During two days of tough interviews, he never put a foot wrong.

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• on foot

  walking

  The bus didn’t come, so we set off on foot.

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• on the back foot

  in a worse situation than other people or groups

  Brazil’s brilliant play put their opponents on the back foot.

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• on your feet

  standing

  I’m exhausted – I’ve been on my feet all afternoon!

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• put your best foot forward

  to start trying hard to behave or work as well as you can

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• put your feet up

  to sit down and relax, especially with your feet raised off the ground

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• put your foot down

  1. 1

     to refuse very firmly to do or accept something

     Things can’t carry on like this; you’ll have to put your foot down.

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  2. 2

     British to drive much faster

     I got onto the motorway and really put my foot down.

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• put your foot in it

  British
  to accidentally say something that is embarrassing or that upsets or annoys someone. The American expression is put your foot in your mouth

  Jack really put his foot in it by telling Alice about the surprise party.

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• rushed/run off your feet

  very busy

  We’ll be rushed off our feet around lunchtime.

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• set foot on/in

  to go to a place, especially when there is something special or unusual about you doing this

  set foot on/in in:

  It was the first time she had set foot in the desert.

  set foot on/in on:

  It was the first time I had set foot on French soil.

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• six feet under

  informal
  dead and buried in the ground

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• under someone’s feet

  in someone’s way and annoying them by stopping them from doing what they need to do

  The children have been under my feet all day.

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