50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and Toes

50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and Toes 50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and Toes 50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and Toes By Mark Nichol Here is a list of expressions that refer to one’s legs or feet or their parts, and the meaning of each idiom. 1. One’s Achilles’ heel is one’s weakness. 2. To be bound hand and foot is to be literally or figuratively tied up. 3. To bring one to heel is to subdue someone. 4. To go somewhere by or on foot is to walk or hike there. 5. To cool one’s heels is to pause to calm down or think before doing something rash. 6. To dig in one’s heels is to be obstinate. 7. One who doesn’t have a leg to stand on is unsupported by evidence or corroboration. 8. To drag one’s feet is to delay. 9. To find one’s feet is to become accustomed or oriented. 10. To be fleet of foot is to be fast. 11. To foot the bill is to accept financial responsibility. 12. To get down on your knees means to figuratively submit or ask for forgiveness. 13.–14. To get one’s feet wet is to have a modest or mild introductory experience; to put one’s toe in the water is to do so even more hesitantly. 15.–16. To get or start off on the right foot is to make a good first impression or to act productively soon after beginning an endeavor, and to get or start off on the wrong foot is to leave a poor first impression or act counterproductively soon after beginning an endeavor. 17. To get one’s sea legs to become accustomed to the pitch and roll of a marine vessel or, by extension, to become used to a situation. 18. To have a foot in the door is to have an advantage that will enable one to obtain a desired result. 19. To have foot-in-mouth disease is to habitually make awkward or inappropriate comments. 20. To have one’s feet in both camps is to be opportunistically sympathetic to two opposing viewpoints. 21. To have feet of clay is to have a hidden flaw or weakness (an allusion to the fragility of clay). 22. To have itchy feet is to be restless. 23. To have one foot in the grave is to be in poor health or near death. 24. To have two left feet is to feel clumsy. 25. To have the world at one’s feet is to be afforded an opportunity for rewarding experiences. 26. â€Å"Head to toe† means â€Å"entirely† or â€Å"thoroughly.† 27. To keep one’s feet on the ground is to remain realistic and responsible. 28. To keep someone on one’s toes is to do or say one or more things that cause the person to remain alert or attentive. 29. â€Å"Knee-high to a grasshopper† is a colorfully exaggerated expression referring to being a small child. 30. To land on one’s feet is to recover from a setback. 31. â€Å"My foot† is an idiom for expressing skepticism. 32. One who is on his or her last legs is in a state of exhaustion or near the point of giving up. 33. To pull someone’s leg is to deceive them for humorous effect. 34. To pull the rug from under one’s feet is to be deprived of support or disoriented by a sudden action; to have the rug pulled under one’s feet is to be the victim of such an action. â€Å"Have the ground cut out from under one’s feet† has the same meaning. 35. To put one’s best foot forward is to make a good impression. 36. To put one foot in front of the other is to begin a laborious undertaking. 37. To put one’s foot in it is to do or say something that gets one into an unfortunate situation, suggestive of stepping into an unpleasant substance. 38. To put one’s foot in one’s mouth is to say something awkward or inappropriate. 39. To put one’s feet up is to relax. 40. To put one’s foot down is to be insistent. 41. To put one’s foot to the floor is to suddenly hurry or increase one’s speed. 42. To set foot somewhere is to go into that place. 43. To shoot oneself in the foot is to do or say something disadvantageous to one’s own interests. 44. To stand on one’s own two feet is to act or live independently. 45. To step, or tread, on someone’s toes is to impinge on that person’s authority or responsibility or interfere with the person’s actions. 46. â€Å"The shoe is on the other foot† means that a situation has been reversed so that one who had been responsible for another’s misfortune is now suffering the same misfortune. 47. To think on one’s feet is to solve a problem reflexively or spontaneously. 48. To toe the line is to remain within the bounds of proper behavior or conduct. 49. To wait for the other shoe to drop is to be in expectation of receiving further developments or news. 50. To wait on someone hand and foot is to serve that person continuously. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Opening Lines to Inspire the Start of Your StoryFive Spelling Rules for "Silent Final E"Charles's Pen and Jesus' Name