IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishfootloose and fancy-free
Meaning: Able to go anywhere and do anything that one wants; carefree.
Example: “After the kids moved out, they sold the house and traveled footloose and fancy-free.”
Origin: "Footloose," from the 17th century, first described a sail whose lower edge was not tied down and could move freely. "Fancy-free," not bound by love, is from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream ("in maiden meditation, fancy-free"). The pairing is common from the late 19th century.
More English idioms
- for crying out loud An exclamation of exasperation or impatience.
- for goodness' sake A mild exclamation of annoyance, surprise or urgency.
- for heaven's sake An exclamation of impatience, surprise or pleading.
- for the birds A waste of time; mixed up or confused.
- get a hold of oneself To get control of oneself; stop being emotional.
- get a hold of someone To contact someone or communicate with someone, usually by telephone.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Pad kid poured curd pulled cod. Alternating repetition — the consonants swap at the start of every other word, which is w…
- Red lorry, yellow lorry. The 'l/r' alternation drill — deceptively short, yet almost impossible to say fast withou…
- How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? A 'w/ch/ck' drill that accelerates comically — and nobody really knows the answer.
Keep exploring