IdiomBody & Senses
English
Englishput one's foot down
Meaning: To be firm and unyielding about something.
Example: “When the kids wanted a third dessert, Dad put his foot down.”
Equivalents in other languages
French: Taper du poing sur la table Literally: To bang one's fist on the table- French: Mettre le holà Literally: To put the holà
Origin: The image is of stamping a foot firmly on the ground to show one will not be moved. The sense of taking a firm stand is recorded from the late 19th century; the later driving sense, pressing the accelerator, is a separate use.
More English idioms
- shake a leg To hurry.
- shot in the arm Something that stimulates, boosts, or renews people's interest.
- stand on one's own two feet To be independent and self-supporting.
- stick one's neck out To take a risk.
- stick one's nose in To try to find out about someone else's private business.
- stick out like a sore thumb Not to blend in; to be obvious and prominent or easily seen.
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Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
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