Get Cold Feet
Meaning: To suddenly feel too nervous or unsure to go ahead with something you planned.
If you get “cold feet,” it means you suddenly feel nervous or unsure about something important, like getting married or starting a new job. The phrase suggests your courage is fading, just like your feet might get cold before stepping into something big. For example, “He got cold feet before the presentation and almost didn’t go on stage.”
How to use it
It’s very common before big steps: weddings, job changes, big purchases, performances. It’s informal but fine at work. Use “get” for the moment it happens (“I got cold feet”) and “have” for the feeling (“She has cold feet about the move”).
Examples
- He got cold feet the night before the wedding.
- We almost bought the house, but my wife got cold feet.
- I had cold feet about quitting, but I’m glad I did it.
A common mistake
Always plural: cold feet, not “cold foot.” And it’s about nerves, not temperature: “My feet are cold” just means your feet are cold.
Say it out loud
Tabbi Daily gives you one short lesson like this every day. Listen, record yourself and hear how you sound. Free, no account needed.
Source: The Idioms