Leg & Foot Idioms
Achilles' heel (of someone or something)
- the weak part of a person/place/system/argument which can easily be attacked or criticized
The lack of skilled workers was the Achilles' heel of the government's plans to prepare for the Olympics.
at one`s heels
- close behind someone
The large car was at my heels during my drive into town.
back on one`s feet
- to recover from sickness or trouble, to become independent again
Our teacher was back on her feet shortly after her accident.
balls of one's feet
- the bottom of the feet just under the toes
The balls of my feet were very sore after walking around all day.
bound hand and foot
- to have one's hands and feet tied up
The bank manager was bound hand and foot by the three bank robbers.
Break a leg!
- Good luck! (an expression that is used in theater performances)
"Break a leg!" the director called to the lead actor.
bring (someone) to heel
- to make someone obey you or pay attention to you again after they have stopped doing this
The new supervisor quickly brought her employees to heel.
bring (someone or something) to its/their knees
- to have a negative effect or destroy someone or a group of people, to defeat someone/something
The strike by the teachers quickly brought the school to its knees.
charley horse
- a cramp in one's arm or leg from straining oneself
I got a charley horse after running this morning.
cool one`s heels
- to be forced to wait by someone in power or authority
I was forced to cool my heels in the lobby for an hour while I waited for the job interview.
cost an arm and a leg
- to cost much money
My father paid an arm and a leg for his car and he loves driving it.
dead on one's feet
- very tired, worn out
I was dead on my feet when I returned from shopping all day.
dig in one's heels
- to refuse to change one's mind or course of action
The man decided to dig in his heels and refuse to accept the offer to settle the dispute.
dip one's toe in the water
- to slowly start to do something new to see if you like it or if other people will approve of it
I am doing some volunteer work at the hospital to try and dip my toe in the water of working in the medical field.
down-at-the-heels
- poorly dressed, looking poor
A man who looked down-at-the-heels came to the small cafe for dinner.
drag one`s feet/heels
- to act slowly or reluctantly
Our company is dragging their feet in making a decision to hire new workers.
fall head over heels
- to fall down (and maybe roll over)
The little boy fell head over heels when he fell down in the park.
fall head over heels in love (with someone)
- to fall deeply in love with someone
The young man fell head over heels in love with the girl in his English class.
feet of clay
- a hidden fault or weakness in a respected person
The new manager has feet of clay and may not last very long in his new position.
find one's feet
- to become used to a new situation or experience
I was able to easily find my feet when I started my new job.
follow in (someone's) footsteps
- to do what someone else has done (especially to do the same job as one's father or mother)
The young man followed in his father's footsteps and decided to become an accountant.
footloose and fancy-free
- able to do whatever you want without any obligations
The couple have no children and they are footloose and fancy-free.
from head to toe
- from the top of one's head to one's feet
I dressed warmly from head to toe before I went outside.
get a foothold (somewhere)
- to get an initial position of support, to reach a starting point
The small company was able to get a foothold in the breakfast cereal market.
get a toehold (somewhere)
- to get an initial position of support, to reach a starting point
We were able to finally get a toehold in the textbook market.
get cold feet
- to become timid or afraid to do or try something
I wanted to go to Europe with my cousin but he got cold feet and decided not to go.
get off on the wrong foot
- to make a bad start to a relationship or something else
Unfortunately my relationship with my new teacher got off on the wrong foot. get one`s feet wet
- to begin to do something for the first time
We do not have to finish this job today but at least we can get our feet wet and start.
get one's foot in the door
- to take the first step in doing something
I hope that I can get my foot in the door and join the new company.
get one's sea legs
- to become accustomed to a ship moving at sea, to become accustomed to something in general
After a few days at the new job I was able to get my sea legs.
get to one's feet
- to stand up
The audience got to their feet at the end of the concert.
go down on one's knees/on bended knee
- to show a lot of emotion when you are asking someone for something
I was forced to go down on my knees and ask my supervisor for some free time from work.
go toe-to-toe with (someone)
- to try hard to beat someone in a fight/competition/argument
Our lawyer went toe-to-toe with the lawyer from the other side.
have a foot in both camps
- to have an interest in or to support each of two opposing groups of people
The new mayor has a foot in both camps of the development dispute.
have a hollow leg
- to be able to eat or drink a lot
I think that my friend has a hollow leg. He never stops eating.
have a lead foot
- to drive too fast
My friend has a lead foot and he has received many speeding tickets.
have a leg to stand on
- to have no support/excuse/evidence for something
The criminal does not have a leg to stand on in his defense of his actions.
have a leg up on (someone)
- to have an advantage in your job/education etc. because someone gives you help or money
The boy went to summer school which should give him a leg up on the other students in his class.
have cold feet
- to become timid or afraid to do or try something
I think that my friend has cold feet and will not go to the party with me.
have foot-in-mouth disease
- to embarrass oneself by a silly mistake
I think that my friend has foot-in-mouth disease. She is always making very stupid statements.
have legs
- (for an idea/plan/topic) to be likely to succeed or to continue
The news story has legs. We will be talking about it for a long time.
have one foot in the grave
- to be near death
Our neighbor has one foot in the grave and I do not expect him to live past this winter.
have one's feet (planted firmly) on the ground
- to have an understanding of what can be done in a certain situation, to have sensible ideas
The new manager seems to have his feet on the ground and should have a sensible solution to our problems.
have two left feet
- to move in a very awkward way when you dance
The man has two left feet and he is a very bad dancer.
keep on one's toes
- to stay alert and watchful
The students were forced to keep on their toes by their new teacher.
keep one's feet (firmly) on the ground
- to remain firmly established
The man is trying hard to keep his feet firmly on the ground with his new job and new apartment.
kick up one`s heels
- to have a good time, to celebrate
We kicked up our heels last night and had a great time at the party.
knee-high to a grasshopper
- not very tall/old (usually used for a child)
My grandfather told me many stories when I was knee-high to a grasshopper.
knock (someone) off their feet
- to surprise or shock someone so much that they do not know what to do, to overwhelm someone
The singer's voice was so beautiful that it knocked me off my feet. land on one's feet
- to come out of a bad situation successfully
I was able to land on my feet even though our company had recently gone bankrupt.
let the grass grow under one`s feet
- to be idle, to be lazy, to waste time
My friend is never content to let the grass grow under his feet. He is always busy.
light on one's feet
- to be able to move quickly and gracefully
The boxer is light on his feet and he wins many boxing matches.
make one's toes curl
- to make one feel uncomfortable
The story of my friend's car accident made my toes curl.
My foot!
- I do not believe it (said after someone says something that you do not believe and you repeat the statement with the expression "My foot!")
"My foot!" the man exclaimed when he learned that he would not be able to attend the meeting.
on bended knee
- with great humility
I went to my neighbor on bended knee to ask him if I could borrow some tools.
on foot
- by walking
We decided to go to the stadium on foot.
on one's feet
- standing up
I was on my feet for several hours yesterday.
on one`s heels
- close behind, as a constant follower or companion
The dog was on the heels of the small rabbit.
on one`s toes
- alert, ready to act
The speaker kept the audience on their toes by asking many interesting questions.
on (something's) last legs
- something is almost worn out or finished
My car is on its last legs and I will soon have to buy a new one.
on the heels of (something)
- soon after something
There was a large rain storm on the heels of the wind storm.
on tiptoe
- standing or walking on the front part of the feet
I stood on tiptoe to look into the construction site.
pay an arm and a leg (for something)
- to pay a lot of money for something
The woman paid an arm and a leg for her new coat.
play footsie (with someone)
- to attract someone's attention by touching his or her foot under the table, to flirt with someone
The couple at the restaurant were playing footsie under the table.
pull (someone`s) leg
- to fool someone with a humorous account of something, to trick or joke with someone
The man was pulling my leg when he said that I could not enter the movie theater after the movie had started.
put one's best foot forward
- to try and make a good impression, to act one's best
I tried to put my best foot forward during the job interview.
put one's foot down (about something)
- to object to something strongly, to refuse to do something, to refuse to allow something to happen
My sister finally put her foot down and stopped paying for the gas for her daughter's car.
put one's foot in one's mouth
- to say something that is the wrong thing to say in a situation
I put my foot in my mouth and said that I did not like fish just before my friend served me fish at the dinner party.
put one's toe in the water
- to slowly start to do something new to see if you like it or if other people will approve of it
I plan to put my toe in the water to see if the new job is suitable for me.
regain one's feet
- to stand up again after falling, to become independent after financial difficulties
I quickly regained my feet after almost falling on the sidewalk.
set foot (somewhere)
- to go or enter somewhere
The chef has not set foot in her restaurant for several months now.
set one back on one's heels
- to surprise/shock/overwhelm someone
The announcement on the school's loudspeaker set everyone back on their heels.
shake a leg
- to go fast, to hurry
"Please try and shake a leg. We are already late for the concert."
shoe is on the other foot
- the opposite is true, places are changed
My friend always has problems at school but now the shoe is on the other foot and I am the one who is having problems.
shoot oneself in the foot
- to make a mistake or a stupid decision that makes a situation worse
The man shot himself in the foot when he refused to work the extra hours that his boss wanted him too.
sit at (someone's) feet
- to admire someone greatly, to be taught by someone
I would love to sit at the feet of the famous painter.
six feet under
- dead (buried six feet under the ground in a grave)
The criminal lives a bad life and if he does not change he will soon be six feet under.
stand on one's own two feet
- to be independent and self-sufficient
My sister needs to do something to make her daughter stand on her own two feet.
start off on the wrong foot
- to begin something by doing something wrong
I started off on the wrong foot and I have been unable to do my job well since.
step/tread on (someone`s) toes
- to do something that interferes with or offends someone else
I do not want to tread on my supervisor's toes because he is not in a good mood today.
stretch one's legs
- to walk around after sitting down or lying down for a period of time
The airplane passenger decided to stand up and stretch her legs.
sweep (someone) off his or her feet
- to overwhelm someone (with love etc.), to knock someone down
The woman was swept off her feet when she met the young man at the party. tail between one`s legs
- feeling beaten or humiliated (like a frightened dog as it walks away)
The salesman was forced to leave the company with his tail between his legs after he lied about his sales figures.
take a load off one's feet
- to sit down and relax
I sat down for awhile to take a load off my feet.
take to one's heels
- to run away
The little boys took to their heels when the older boys approached.
think on one's feet
- to think/reason/plan while one is talking or doing something
I had to think on my feet when the flood waters began to approach my house.
throw oneself at (someone's) feet
- to behave in a very humble manner
I threw myself at my friend's feet and asked for forgiveness for the problems that I had caused.
toe the line/mark
- to follow the rules, to do what one is expected to do
The team members were forced to toe the line when the new coach arrived.
turn on one`s heel
- to turn around suddenly
The dog suddenly turned on his heel and ran away.
under (someone's) feet
- to annoy or interrupt someone when they are working
The children were under the mother's feet while she was cooking dinner.
vote with one's feet
- to express one's dissatisfaction with something by leaving or walking away
The students were voting with their feet when they began to withdraw from the science course.
wait on (someone) hand and foot
- to serve someone in every possible way, to do everything for someone
I always wait on my sister hand and foot when she comes to visit me.
with one's tail between one's legs
- feeling beaten or humiliated like a frightened or defeated dog as it walks away
The saleswoman left the sales meeting with her tail between her legs because she did not meet the sales target.
- the weak part of a person/place/system/argument which can easily be attacked or criticized
The lack of skilled workers was the Achilles' heel of the government's plans to prepare for the Olympics.
at one`s heels
- close behind someone
The large car was at my heels during my drive into town.
back on one`s feet
- to recover from sickness or trouble, to become independent again
Our teacher was back on her feet shortly after her accident.
balls of one's feet
- the bottom of the feet just under the toes
The balls of my feet were very sore after walking around all day.
bound hand and foot
- to have one's hands and feet tied up
The bank manager was bound hand and foot by the three bank robbers.
Break a leg!
- Good luck! (an expression that is used in theater performances)
"Break a leg!" the director called to the lead actor.
bring (someone) to heel
- to make someone obey you or pay attention to you again after they have stopped doing this
The new supervisor quickly brought her employees to heel.
bring (someone or something) to its/their knees
- to have a negative effect or destroy someone or a group of people, to defeat someone/something
The strike by the teachers quickly brought the school to its knees.
charley horse
- a cramp in one's arm or leg from straining oneself
I got a charley horse after running this morning.
cool one`s heels
- to be forced to wait by someone in power or authority
I was forced to cool my heels in the lobby for an hour while I waited for the job interview.
cost an arm and a leg
- to cost much money
My father paid an arm and a leg for his car and he loves driving it.
dead on one's feet
- very tired, worn out
I was dead on my feet when I returned from shopping all day.
dig in one's heels
- to refuse to change one's mind or course of action
The man decided to dig in his heels and refuse to accept the offer to settle the dispute.
dip one's toe in the water
- to slowly start to do something new to see if you like it or if other people will approve of it
I am doing some volunteer work at the hospital to try and dip my toe in the water of working in the medical field.
down-at-the-heels
- poorly dressed, looking poor
A man who looked down-at-the-heels came to the small cafe for dinner.
drag one`s feet/heels
- to act slowly or reluctantly
Our company is dragging their feet in making a decision to hire new workers.
fall head over heels
- to fall down (and maybe roll over)
The little boy fell head over heels when he fell down in the park.
fall head over heels in love (with someone)
- to fall deeply in love with someone
The young man fell head over heels in love with the girl in his English class.
feet of clay
- a hidden fault or weakness in a respected person
The new manager has feet of clay and may not last very long in his new position.
find one's feet
- to become used to a new situation or experience
I was able to easily find my feet when I started my new job.
follow in (someone's) footsteps
- to do what someone else has done (especially to do the same job as one's father or mother)
The young man followed in his father's footsteps and decided to become an accountant.
footloose and fancy-free
- able to do whatever you want without any obligations
The couple have no children and they are footloose and fancy-free.
from head to toe
- from the top of one's head to one's feet
I dressed warmly from head to toe before I went outside.
get a foothold (somewhere)
- to get an initial position of support, to reach a starting point
The small company was able to get a foothold in the breakfast cereal market.
get a toehold (somewhere)
- to get an initial position of support, to reach a starting point
We were able to finally get a toehold in the textbook market.
get cold feet
- to become timid or afraid to do or try something
I wanted to go to Europe with my cousin but he got cold feet and decided not to go.
get off on the wrong foot
- to make a bad start to a relationship or something else
Unfortunately my relationship with my new teacher got off on the wrong foot. get one`s feet wet
- to begin to do something for the first time
We do not have to finish this job today but at least we can get our feet wet and start.
get one's foot in the door
- to take the first step in doing something
I hope that I can get my foot in the door and join the new company.
get one's sea legs
- to become accustomed to a ship moving at sea, to become accustomed to something in general
After a few days at the new job I was able to get my sea legs.
get to one's feet
- to stand up
The audience got to their feet at the end of the concert.
go down on one's knees/on bended knee
- to show a lot of emotion when you are asking someone for something
I was forced to go down on my knees and ask my supervisor for some free time from work.
go toe-to-toe with (someone)
- to try hard to beat someone in a fight/competition/argument
Our lawyer went toe-to-toe with the lawyer from the other side.
have a foot in both camps
- to have an interest in or to support each of two opposing groups of people
The new mayor has a foot in both camps of the development dispute.
have a hollow leg
- to be able to eat or drink a lot
I think that my friend has a hollow leg. He never stops eating.
have a lead foot
- to drive too fast
My friend has a lead foot and he has received many speeding tickets.
have a leg to stand on
- to have no support/excuse/evidence for something
The criminal does not have a leg to stand on in his defense of his actions.
have a leg up on (someone)
- to have an advantage in your job/education etc. because someone gives you help or money
The boy went to summer school which should give him a leg up on the other students in his class.
have cold feet
- to become timid or afraid to do or try something
I think that my friend has cold feet and will not go to the party with me.
have foot-in-mouth disease
- to embarrass oneself by a silly mistake
I think that my friend has foot-in-mouth disease. She is always making very stupid statements.
have legs
- (for an idea/plan/topic) to be likely to succeed or to continue
The news story has legs. We will be talking about it for a long time.
have one foot in the grave
- to be near death
Our neighbor has one foot in the grave and I do not expect him to live past this winter.
have one's feet (planted firmly) on the ground
- to have an understanding of what can be done in a certain situation, to have sensible ideas
The new manager seems to have his feet on the ground and should have a sensible solution to our problems.
have two left feet
- to move in a very awkward way when you dance
The man has two left feet and he is a very bad dancer.
keep on one's toes
- to stay alert and watchful
The students were forced to keep on their toes by their new teacher.
keep one's feet (firmly) on the ground
- to remain firmly established
The man is trying hard to keep his feet firmly on the ground with his new job and new apartment.
kick up one`s heels
- to have a good time, to celebrate
We kicked up our heels last night and had a great time at the party.
knee-high to a grasshopper
- not very tall/old (usually used for a child)
My grandfather told me many stories when I was knee-high to a grasshopper.
knock (someone) off their feet
- to surprise or shock someone so much that they do not know what to do, to overwhelm someone
The singer's voice was so beautiful that it knocked me off my feet. land on one's feet
- to come out of a bad situation successfully
I was able to land on my feet even though our company had recently gone bankrupt.
let the grass grow under one`s feet
- to be idle, to be lazy, to waste time
My friend is never content to let the grass grow under his feet. He is always busy.
light on one's feet
- to be able to move quickly and gracefully
The boxer is light on his feet and he wins many boxing matches.
make one's toes curl
- to make one feel uncomfortable
The story of my friend's car accident made my toes curl.
My foot!
- I do not believe it (said after someone says something that you do not believe and you repeat the statement with the expression "My foot!")
"My foot!" the man exclaimed when he learned that he would not be able to attend the meeting.
on bended knee
- with great humility
I went to my neighbor on bended knee to ask him if I could borrow some tools.
on foot
- by walking
We decided to go to the stadium on foot.
on one's feet
- standing up
I was on my feet for several hours yesterday.
on one`s heels
- close behind, as a constant follower or companion
The dog was on the heels of the small rabbit.
on one`s toes
- alert, ready to act
The speaker kept the audience on their toes by asking many interesting questions.
on (something's) last legs
- something is almost worn out or finished
My car is on its last legs and I will soon have to buy a new one.
on the heels of (something)
- soon after something
There was a large rain storm on the heels of the wind storm.
on tiptoe
- standing or walking on the front part of the feet
I stood on tiptoe to look into the construction site.
pay an arm and a leg (for something)
- to pay a lot of money for something
The woman paid an arm and a leg for her new coat.
play footsie (with someone)
- to attract someone's attention by touching his or her foot under the table, to flirt with someone
The couple at the restaurant were playing footsie under the table.
pull (someone`s) leg
- to fool someone with a humorous account of something, to trick or joke with someone
The man was pulling my leg when he said that I could not enter the movie theater after the movie had started.
put one's best foot forward
- to try and make a good impression, to act one's best
I tried to put my best foot forward during the job interview.
put one's foot down (about something)
- to object to something strongly, to refuse to do something, to refuse to allow something to happen
My sister finally put her foot down and stopped paying for the gas for her daughter's car.
put one's foot in one's mouth
- to say something that is the wrong thing to say in a situation
I put my foot in my mouth and said that I did not like fish just before my friend served me fish at the dinner party.
put one's toe in the water
- to slowly start to do something new to see if you like it or if other people will approve of it
I plan to put my toe in the water to see if the new job is suitable for me.
regain one's feet
- to stand up again after falling, to become independent after financial difficulties
I quickly regained my feet after almost falling on the sidewalk.
set foot (somewhere)
- to go or enter somewhere
The chef has not set foot in her restaurant for several months now.
set one back on one's heels
- to surprise/shock/overwhelm someone
The announcement on the school's loudspeaker set everyone back on their heels.
shake a leg
- to go fast, to hurry
"Please try and shake a leg. We are already late for the concert."
shoe is on the other foot
- the opposite is true, places are changed
My friend always has problems at school but now the shoe is on the other foot and I am the one who is having problems.
shoot oneself in the foot
- to make a mistake or a stupid decision that makes a situation worse
The man shot himself in the foot when he refused to work the extra hours that his boss wanted him too.
sit at (someone's) feet
- to admire someone greatly, to be taught by someone
I would love to sit at the feet of the famous painter.
six feet under
- dead (buried six feet under the ground in a grave)
The criminal lives a bad life and if he does not change he will soon be six feet under.
stand on one's own two feet
- to be independent and self-sufficient
My sister needs to do something to make her daughter stand on her own two feet.
start off on the wrong foot
- to begin something by doing something wrong
I started off on the wrong foot and I have been unable to do my job well since.
step/tread on (someone`s) toes
- to do something that interferes with or offends someone else
I do not want to tread on my supervisor's toes because he is not in a good mood today.
stretch one's legs
- to walk around after sitting down or lying down for a period of time
The airplane passenger decided to stand up and stretch her legs.
sweep (someone) off his or her feet
- to overwhelm someone (with love etc.), to knock someone down
The woman was swept off her feet when she met the young man at the party. tail between one`s legs
- feeling beaten or humiliated (like a frightened dog as it walks away)
The salesman was forced to leave the company with his tail between his legs after he lied about his sales figures.
take a load off one's feet
- to sit down and relax
I sat down for awhile to take a load off my feet.
take to one's heels
- to run away
The little boys took to their heels when the older boys approached.
think on one's feet
- to think/reason/plan while one is talking or doing something
I had to think on my feet when the flood waters began to approach my house.
throw oneself at (someone's) feet
- to behave in a very humble manner
I threw myself at my friend's feet and asked for forgiveness for the problems that I had caused.
toe the line/mark
- to follow the rules, to do what one is expected to do
The team members were forced to toe the line when the new coach arrived.
turn on one`s heel
- to turn around suddenly
The dog suddenly turned on his heel and ran away.
under (someone's) feet
- to annoy or interrupt someone when they are working
The children were under the mother's feet while she was cooking dinner.
vote with one's feet
- to express one's dissatisfaction with something by leaving or walking away
The students were voting with their feet when they began to withdraw from the science course.
wait on (someone) hand and foot
- to serve someone in every possible way, to do everything for someone
I always wait on my sister hand and foot when she comes to visit me.
with one's tail between one's legs
- feeling beaten or humiliated like a frightened or defeated dog as it walks away
The saleswoman left the sales meeting with her tail between her legs because she did not meet the sales target.
