1888. Daily Telegraph, 7 May. Faire une gaffe, in modern Parisian slang, may be best rendered as to put your foot in it.
To have one foot (or leg) in the grave. verb. phr. (common).—On one's last legs; measured for a funeral sermon. Also as adj.
1825. English Spy, i., pp. 199-200. With one leg in the grave he'll laugh.
1890. Globe, 15 May, p. 5, col. 2. One-foot-in-the-grave paralytic sort of people.
To pull foot, verb. phr. (American).—To make haste. Variants are to take one's foot in one's hand, and to make tracks; but for synonyms, see Absquatulate and Skedaddle.
1825. Neal, Brother Jonathan, Bk. I., ch. iv., How they pulled foot when they seed us commin.
1836. Michael Scott. Tom Cringle's Log, ch. viii. 'Why, pull foot, captain,' promptly replied Paul.
1843-4. Haliburton, Sam Slick in England. I look'd up; it was another shower, by gosh. I pulls foot for dear life.
To take Mr. Foot's horse, verb. phr. (old).—To walk; to go by Shank's mare (q.v.) For synonyms, see Pad the hoof.
To know the length of one's foot, verb. phr. (old).—To be well acquainted with one's character.
1581. Lilly, Euphues, etc. But you shall not know the length of my foot, untill by your cunning you get commendation.
1614. Terence in English. He measures an other man's foote by his owne last. Hee considers an other mans meaning by his owne intent.
Footer, subs. (Harrow: once
common).—1. Short for 'foot-*ball.'
2. (University).—A player of football according to Rugby rules.
Foot-hot, adv. (Old English).—In
hot haste; hot-foot (q.v.)
1848. Burton Waggeries, etc., p. 65. I'm darned if I don't streak it to the Squire's foot-hot.
Footing, subs. (common).—Money
paid on entering upon new duties,
or on being received into a workshop
or society: as at sea when a
comrade first goes aloft. Formerly
foot-ale: cf., Garnish.
Fr., arroser ses galons = to
christen one's uniform.
1777. Howard, State of Prisons in England and Wales, quoted in J. Ashton's The Fleet, p. 295. A cruel custom obtains in most of our Gaols, which is that of the prisoners demanding of a new comer garnish, footing, or (as it is called in some London Gaols) chummage.
1781. G. Parker, View of Society, I., 48; I must instantly pay down two shillings for my footing.
1788. G. A. Stevens, Adv. of a Speculist, i., 211. I was drove from street to street by women of my own profession, who swore I should not come in their beats until I had paid my footing.
1830. Carleton, Collegian's Colleen Bawn, 94. 'Pay your footing now, Master Kyrle Daly, before you go farther,' said one.
1840. Haliburton, Clockmaker, 3 S., ch. iii. 'Waiter, half-a-dozen of iced champagne here, to pay for Mr. Slick's footin'.'
1891. Clark Russell; An Ocean Tragedy, p. 86. I was going aloft and wished to pay my footing.
Footle, verb., and Footling,
adj. (colloquial).—To dawdle,
trifle, potter; dawdling, trifling,
pottering; messing about (q.v.).
Footlicker, subs. (old).—A servant:
a lickspittle.
1609. Shakspeare, The Tempest, IV., 1. Do that good mischief which may make this island Thine for ever, and I, thy Caliban, For aye thy foot-licker.
