Get Cold Feet

I’ve chosen a cold-themed idiom this week in honour of the below-normal temperatures we’ve been having.

Most people go about the day trying to make the best decisions possible, but everyone makes mistakes. Usually these decisions are minor, but sometimes we decide to take a big risk and step outside of our regular routine: finding a new job, moving to a new country, beginning a relationship, or starting a business venture, for example. All of these are big decisions, and they can be scary.

To get cold feet means to have second thoughts about taking a risk and starting something new. All of a sudden, you begin to doubt whether it is really a wise idea. If you really get cold feet, and the feelings are strong enough, you may back out completely.

If you have ever gone swimming in a pool or in the ocean, you may understand what the idiom is referring to. Before jumping into the water, most people will test the water with their feet. Sometimes the water is much colder than we imagined! Still, from experience most people know that once they get into the water, they get used to the temperature and are able to enjoy themselves. To get over the initial fear—the cold feet—we need to put mind over matter and go for it. Of course, sometimes it is smarter to act upon the feeling of cold feet. Sometimes the water is so cold that you might catch hypothermia and die. Getting cold feet before making a big decision is natural, but whether to put mind over matter and take the plunge must be decided on a case by case basis.

My cat likes to stand at the door and meow to be let outside. In the summer he runs out quickly, without much deliberation. As winter approaches and the weather gets colder, he usually gets cold feet after I open the door. Sometimes he still goes outside, only with less enthusiasm, but most of the time he simply turns around in disgust.

Some people talk about getting cold feet right before their wedding day. That wasn’t my experience—I didn’t have any second thoughts and to this day I don’t regret taking the plunge. However, we have all heard stories where either the bride or the groom run away right before the big day, leaving the would-be partner and all the guests in shock. That is a serious case of cold feet.

So, next time you have a friend who starts to doubt himself before making a big decision, you may not know whether or not to encourage him to proceed, but at least you have an idiom you can use to describe the feeling!