IdiomBody & Senses
English
Englishstand on one's own two feet
Meaning: To be independent and self-supporting.
Example: “After college, my parents wanted me to stand on my own two feet.”
Equivalents in other languages
Dutch: op eigen benen staan Literally: To stand on one’s own legs
Origin: A child learning to walk, or a person getting up without help, stands unsupported. The figurative sense of being independent, especially financially, is common from the 19th century.
More English idioms
- toe the line To follow the rules; to do what is expected of one.
- tongue-in-cheek Joking or sarcastic.
- turn a deaf ear To ignore someone.
- turn the other cheek Not to retaliate; not to pay back bad behavior with more bad behavior.
- turn up one's nose at something or someone To scorn, snub, or reject something.
- under someone's thumb Under someone's control.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Testa quadrata A rigid, inflexible blockhead who refuses to see beyond their fixed ideas.
- È un mammone An overgrown man who can't make a decision without his mother — the Italian archetype of…
- Che piagnucolone A relentless crybaby who finds something to complain about in every situation.
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