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You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Saying “Cold Feet” Come From and What Does the Expression Mean?

Where Did the Saying “Cold Feet” Come From and What Does the Expression Mean?

March 1, 2020 by Karen Hill

To have cold feet means to lose your nerve when facing danger; it began meaning cowardly more than a hundred years ago.

This is a bit harsh, because everyone’s bodily extremities, including the hands and feet, become cold when terrified because under the circumstances, the body draws blood away from these areas to fuel vital organs for combat or flight.

So cold feet don’t make the coward, it’s the running away.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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