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[1061] Get cold feet

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English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • To suddenly become too nervous, frightened, or hesitant to do something you had planned or committed to, especially something significant like getting married, performing, or making a big investment.

Origin

Several disputed origins.

  • One theory relates to soldiers needing courage ('hot blood') to fight; lacking courage meant having 'cold feet'.
  • Another links it to card games where a player without enough money to continue betting would 'get cold feet' and withdraw.
  • A plausible origin comes from an early 20th-century German novel/play (Seed-Time by Fritz Reuter, translated) where a character withdraws from a card game saying he has 'cold feet' (likely meaning he literally felt cold, but it came to mean losing nerve).

Regardless of the exact source, it implies a loss of courage or nerve causing withdrawal.

    Synonyms & Related Expressions

    • Lose your nerve
    • Back out
    • Chicken out (Informal, slightly derogatory)
    • Have second thoughts (Less sudden, more about doubt)
    • Become hesitant/nervous

    Alternatives

    Slang/Informal:

    • Wuss out / Pussy out (Vulgar/Derogatory To back out due to fear)
    • Bottle it (UK Slang To lose one's nerve)
    • Bail (To leave or back out suddenly)

    More Formal:

    • Withdraw due to apprehension.
    • Experience a failure of nerve.
    • Decide against proceeding.

    Situational Appropriateness

    • Common in informal and semi-formal contexts. The term cold feet itself is slightly informal. In very formal settings, lost their nerve or decided not to proceed due to apprehension might be used. Avoid vulgar alternatives in professional settings.

    Misunderstanding Warnings

    • Non-native speakers might think it literally refers to the temperature of someone's feet. Emphasize the metaphorical meaning of sudden fear or nervousness leading to withdrawal.

    Examples

    • He was supposed to propose last night, but he got cold feet.
    • The investors got cold feet and pulled out of the deal at the last minute.
    • She wanted to try bungee jumping but got cold feet when she saw how high it was.

    Dialogue

    Friend 1: Did Sarah go through with the skydiving trip?

    Friend 2: No, she got cold feet right before getting on the plane. Said she couldn't do it.

    Friend 1: Aw, that's a shame! Maybe next time.

    Social Media Examples

    • Tweet: Was going to ask for a raise today but got cold feet. Maybe tomorrow... #worklife #nervous
    • Facebook Status: My fiancé joked about getting cold feet, but he showed up! 😉 So happy! #weddingday #married
    • Reddit Post: AITA for getting cold feet about moving in with my partner?

    Response Patterns

    • Oh no! Really?
    • What happened?
    • That's too bad.
    • Why did they get nervous?
    • I can understand why.

    Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

    After hearing someone got cold feet:

    • People usually ask for the reason behind the sudden nervousness: Why? What made them change their mind?
    • Discussion might focus on the consequences of the person backing out.

    Conversation Starter

    • No. Describes someone's reaction to a planned event.

    Intonation

    • Stress on cold and feet. Get COLD FEET.
    • Often said with a tone of disappointment, surprise, or sometimes understanding.

    Generation Differences

    • Widely understood and used by all generations.

    Regional Variations

    • Common across all major English-speaking regions. Bottle it is distinctly British.
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