Top Language: To Get Cold Feet

‘To get cold feet’ means to suddenly become frightened to do something that’s been planned. Instinctively, I bet the etymology comes from the reaction one gets when entering the sea when the water is cold. One hesitate before going in, right?

Here are a few examples in context:

• They are getting married next Saturday as long as Tracy doesn’t get cold feet.
• I quit work to travel for a year. I starting to get cold feet. Was it the right decision?
• Silvia always gets cold feet before a speech.

A similar expression is ‘to chicken out‘.  This is actually a false friend for many language learners. Italians, for instance,  associate a rabbit to being frightened and not a chicken.

Fluency Builder:

My feet (Photo credit: Matthew T Rader)

1. Do you think it’s normal to get cold feet before your wedding?
2. Do you get cold feet before a presentation?

Lem..xo!

Check outthe photographer’s website…http://matthewtrader.com