have one foot in the grave
Meaning: To be close to death.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “He jokes that he has one foot in the grave, but he still swims every morning.”
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: Halfway into one's grave. A version is found in the 16th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: Sentir le sapin — literally: To smell of fir
More idioms — Body & Senses
- on one's toes — Alert and ready to react.
- blood will tell — Family background and inherited character eventually show.
- at the top of one's lungs — As loudly as possible.
- a stab in the back — A betrayal by someone one trusted.
- freeze one's butt off — To be extremely cold.
- have a nerve — To be rude or bold in a way that shocks others.
More English idioms
- cast the first stone — To be the first to condemn someone.
- steal a march on — To gain an advantage by acting before someone else.
- the bee's knees — Something or someone excellent.
- throw someone under the bus — To betray or blame someone to save oneself.
- take stock — To review a situation carefully before deciding what to do.
- with pomp and circumstance — With great ceremony and display.
From our tongue twisters
- 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.
- The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick. — Believed by Guinness to be among the hardest in English — 'six/sick/sheikh/sheep' blur in…
- Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter. — A 'b / t / tt' plosive drill that bounces between Betty, butter, and bitter.