We all have them.
FEET, that is.
And we don’t treat them as well as we should.
We run.
We dance.
We put them in tight, uncomfortable shoes. Got to stay ahead of fashion, right?
We put on weight. YES, WE DO! And our feet have no choice but to carry this around.
We also stand. A lot.
Especially, if we are hairdressers, cleaners or shop assistants.
Just so you know: if you are an overweight shop assistant who dances at the weekend, your feet hate you.
But fear not.
Despite everything you put them through, your feet will always be with you.
English is full of idioms and expressions containing the word foot (singular) or feet (plural). Let’s look at ten of them, that will help you not only get from A to B, but accompany you at all points of your journey through English.
THE HIGHS.
THE LOWS.
AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
1. TO DRAG YOUR FEET
Learning English isn´t easy. Is it?
Be honest. It’s a pain having to take out your books and study.
Doing homework is annoying.
Your books are boring.
So, you drag your feet.
I WHAT?
You drag your feet! This is an expression we use for a person who takes a very long time to do something because they really don’t want to do it.
But listen!
With English, you can´t afford to drag your feet. If you do, you are only shooting yourself in the foot.
2. TO SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT
As I said at the beginning, poor feet!
First, you drag your feet and now you are going to shoot them.
Yes, shoot yourself in the foot.
You sadomasochist!!!!
When you do something, which is going to end up harming you and only you, we say that you are shooting yourself in the foot.
SO, HOW DO I SHOOT MYSELF IN THE FOOT WHEN I’M LEARNING ENGLISH?
If you don’t make an effort when you start studying English, you are wasting your time, and that is how, ultimately, you are hurting yourself.
So, DON´T shoot yourself in the foot. Study and review what you’ve learned every day, even if for only 15 minutes.
3. GET YOUR FEET WET
So, let’s get started.
Yes, you need to get your feet wet.
I DON´T KNOW WHAT THIS, BUT I DON’T WANT TO!!!
Well, it’s not as bad as it sounds.
It has nothing to do with standing in puddles.
It is not running into the sea with your shoes on.
It means to just get started.
Getting your feet wet is basically just getting started. Nothing more. Nothing less.
So, do just that.
Come on!
Open some books, watch some videos on YouTube. Read some magazines.
4. START OFF ON THE WRONG / RIGHT FOOT
If you make the effort to study (a little) every day, you will start off “on the right foot”.
THE WHAT?
On the right foot. And all that means is, successfully.
And everybody wants to be successful.
You do want to be successful, don´t you?
If not, do nothing and start off on the wrong foot. You´ll be speaking English badly.
Very, very, badly.
It will all end in tears if you go down that path. Don´t say I didn´t warn you.
5. PUT YOUR FOOT IN IT
When we start something new, it’s inevitable that we are going to make mistakes.
WE ARE?
I’M NOT!
Well, okay.
But seriously, making mistakes is HOW we learn.
But, just what do feet have to do with making mistakes?
Well, let me tell you. When you say something stupid or hurtful without meaning to, (and that is important), we say: “Oh my God! You’ve put your foot in it”. It’s all about making mistakes. Big, horrible, scary mistakes.
But usually, without meaning to. So, they are okay.
6. TO PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD
Okay, so what do we do after we’ve made put our foot in it?
RUN FOR IT?
No. We start again.
Which is another way of saying that we put our best foot forward.
That is, start again with determination, energy and enthusiasm.
You can do that, right?
You make up your mind that you are going to do better.
You are!
You can!
Who cares if you’ve made a mistake. You can learn from it and move on!!! With your feet. Your best feet. Forward.
7. KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND
Now, when you are learning English, it’s always a good idea to keep your feet on the ground.
THIS IS A GREAT IDEA.
ONE OF YOUR BEST.
WHAT?
One thing is to be eager and enthusiastic, but LET’S BE HONEST!
You are NOT going to sound like a native speaker after just three days.
No.
NOOOOOOO!
You’ve got to set REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.
Aim for things that you can actually achieve.
You’ve got to keep your feet on the ground.
Got it?
Okay.
8. TO FIND YOUR FEET
Once you’re put your best foot forward and you are keeping your feet on the ground, you will quickly get into your stride and suddenly everything will be easier.
You will understand people when they talk to you.
Even Glaswegians (people from Glasgow).
Even Liverpudlians (people from Liverpool).
You’ll watch the news in English online and know what the newscaster is saying and you’ll finally understand what English language memes mean.
But only, after you’ve found your feet.
JUST REMIND ME AGAIN.
That is, when you have gotten used to using English.
9. TO PUT YOUR FEET UP
Now, when people find their feet in English, they often also make the biggest mistake of their lives.
They relax.
They put their feet up.
OF COURSE THEY DO.
THEY’VE EARNED IT.
And there is one thing you must never do when you are learning something new.
Or English.
And that is…
R E L A X
I’m sorry to tell you that once you start on the journey of English, there is no going back.
You don’t get to put your feet up.
You just put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forwards.
TO GET ON YOUR FEET.
Don’t you love that feeling when you´ve been learning something new and you finally feel that you are good at it?
That feeling of knowing what you are doing.
And we know how good we are at it.
When we feel that we are established or know what we are doing we say that we have gotten on our feet. There is nothing quite like feeling like you’ve gotten on your feet. The thing is to keep up the momentum.
Don’t go back. Only go forwards.
If you are not sure where to start, subscribe to my mailing list and you will receive materials which can use to put your best foot forward.
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