IdiomBody & Senses
English
Englishwait on someone hand and foot
Meaning: To do everything for someone, attending to their every need.
Example: “When I broke my leg, my roommate waited on me hand and foot.”
Origin: Very old: a manuscript from around 1330 already says a woman "servede hem hande and fete." Hand and foot stand for the whole body — the person served never has to lift either.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Être aux petits soins Literally: To be at small cares
More English idioms
- bare one's teeth To show hostility and a readiness to fight.
- one's eyes are bigger than one's stomach To take more food than one can eat; more broadly, to want more than one can handle.
- have a memory like an elephant To remember things, especially slights, for a very long time.
- be in the thick of it To be in the busiest or most intense part of an activity.
- have stars in one's eyes To be dazzled or dreamily idealistic, especially about love or fame.
- hit a snag To run into an unexpected problem.
Explore another collection: False Friends
Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
- Oldtimer Actually means 'vintage car' or 'classic aircraft'. A veteran person is ein Veteran.
- Camera Actually means 'room'. A camera (device) is una macchina fotografica.
- Pretendere Actually means 'to demand' or 'to expect'. Pretende troppo = He demands too much.
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