Where did the phrase best foot forward come from?

The Idiom Site says: To ‘Put Your Best Foot Forward’ or ‘to make a bold start’ originated when ladies looked for a well turned leg in men. Embark on a journey or task with purpose and gusto. First recorded in 1613 from Sir Thomas Overbury: “Hee is still setting the best foot forward.”

What does the proverb put your best foot forward mean?

phrase [VERB inflects] If you put your best foot forward, you act in a cheerful, determined way. [old-fashioned] Put your best foot forward and find an acceptable solution to the problems you face.

What does stitch in time saves nine Meaning?

Definition of a stitch in time (saves nine) —used to say that it is better to fix a problem when it is small than to wait and let it become a bigger problem.

Is Get off my back an idiom?

The phrase get off my back is an idiomatic expression that means stop annoying or harassing me.

What does feeling down in the dumps mean?

Definition of down in the dumps : feeling very sad I guess I’m just down in the dumps.

What does the idiom Give me a break mean?

Definition of give me a break 1 —used to tell someone to stop bothering you or treating you unfairly “Aren’t you finished yet?” “Give me a break! I only started 10 minutes ago!” 2 —used to say that you do not believe or are disgusted about what someone has said or done “He says he went to Harvard.” “Give me a break!

What is the origin of the phrase ‘always put your best foot forward’?

This phrase is first recorded in the second edition of Sir Thomas Overbury’s poem A Wife, circa 1613: “Hee is still setting the best foot forward.”. The Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings dates “Always put your best foot forward” to 1495, but provides no supporting evidence for that.

What does ‘the better foot forward’ mean?

Something that surpasses one other is specifically called ‘the better’, as in one’s wife being called ‘one’s better half’. ‘Better foot forward’ makes more sense for humans. Shakespeare, not usually a stickler for linguistic exactitude, used a ‘proper’ form of the expression in King John, 1595 :

Where does Shakespeare use the expression better foot come from?

Shakespeare used the expression is his plays Titus Andronicuc and King John, but he changes it to better foot. Nay, but make haste; the better foot before. –Shakespeare, King John Another early use of the phrase is in Sir Thomas Overby’s Characters: A footeman (1613), His legs are not matches, for he is still setting the best foot forward.

What is the origin of best/better foot?

Some think that best/better foot refers to your right foot because the left foot was considered unlucky. In any event, most sources put the origin date in the 15th or 16th centuries. In the example below, two friends are discussing an interview that one of them has. Ted: I’m so nervous about that job interview that I have tomorrow.