+148 The expression 'cold feet' makes no sense, what, did the first person ever to change his mind do it because he suddenly realised his fiancé was bad at knitting socks? amirite?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Actually, the expression "Cold Feet" comes from back in midevil times when women would give birth to still-born babies or they would say "she was born with cold feet" meaning the baby girl was birthed dead. So when someone has cold feet it means that they decided against going or doing something.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Hang on, were they saying the babies were dead because they'd decided not to be born?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Haha no, its suppose to be like dead to the decision or deciding against it. Don't take it too literally, how often expression in English literal.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I think I recall reading that this expression comes from the fact that in times of extreme stress, the body will reduce blood flow to the extremities in order to minimize blood loss in case of an injury.

by Anonymous 12 years ago