Cold feet (metaphor)
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2008) |
Cold feet is a term used to characterize apprehension or doubt strong enough to prevent a planned course of action.[1] It is used to show when someone has lost the courage to do something. The Oxford English Dictionary attributes the first use of the term "cold feet" to mean "preventing a planned course" to Stephen Crane. In his 1896 edition of Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, Crane wrote, "I knew this was the way it would be. They got cold feet."[2]
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[edit] Origin
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Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
[edit] Usage
- "Abertis shows cold feet on Atlantia deal."[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, 2000, Version 2.5
- ^ "When Did We Get 'Cold Feet'? The Germans had 'em first!", by Daniel Engber, Slate.com, May 3, 2005
- ^ "Abertis shows cold feet on Atlantia deal.", Reuters, October 24, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-31. "Abertis Chief Executive Salvador Alemany displayed signs of cold feet on the deal at a conference on Wednesday, however. ..."
[edit] External links
- "Expert Advice on Cold Feet" – Article from Brides Magazine
- "Cold Feet Common in Brides-to-Be" ABC News Good Morning America, May 1, 2005
- "When Did We Get 'Cold Feet'? The Germans had 'em first!", by Daniel Engber, Slate.com, May 3, 2005
