Hello there! Today, we’re going to talk about having cold feet and getting cold feet!
Let’s start with the easier one. Right now, my feet are freezing (really cold!). I don’t know why, but they are. There’s a hot water bottle on the floor, but I can’t be bothered (won’t make an effort) to go and fill it with hot water. Usually, it’s the fastest way to warm up my feet, other than taking a hot shower. How do you keep your feet warm?
As for getting cold feet, we use this phrase to when we lose confidence or courage (bravery). Perhaps you planned to do a bungee jump, but when standing on the platform, looking down at the long, long fall, you got cold feet and didn’t jump. Another way of saying the same thing is to chicken out, but comes across as a bit mean.
Getting cold feet
When I was a teenager, I often got cold feet. I would chicken out from asking a girl on a date, or simply taking a 3-point shot in a game of basketball. Getting cold feet is the result of being really nervous. I still get nervous when I’m teaching a class of students, but I battle through it. No, we don’t say get warm feet! 😀
My most embarrassing bout of nerves (time of extreme nervousness) came when I was playing the lead role in a school play. I was probably 12 years old and wet myself (accidentally went to the toilet) on stage in front of 300 mums and dads! Fortunately, that didn’t put me off (stop me from doing) stage plays. I continued acting through secondary school and college.
On the Topic of Bravery…
I made a social media post about Violet Jessop. Even though she was in three shipwrecks, she didn’t get cold feet. She continued to work on ships until she retired! Check out the full post on Instagram!
British English
Here are some common English phrases used to talk about getting nervous:
- “He bottled it” (= chickened out, lost confidence)
- “I’ve got the jitters” (= to be nervous)
- “I’m sweating bullets” (= to be so nervous you’re sweating)
- “I’m on pins and needles!” (= to be nervous when waiting for something)
- “I’ve got butterflies in my stomach” (= same as (4))
- “She’s in a tizzy” (= can’t sit still, either nervous or excited about something)
- “Nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs” (= very nervous! 😀 )
Motivation
Do you know the sport of Snooker? It’s like pool / billiards, but on a bigger table and with more balls. It’s a really popular sport in England.
Some TV viewers, including me, get annoyed (a bit angry) when a player takes too long before they play their shot. I want to shout, “Come on! Hurry up!” before I get bored to death (really, really bored!).
Does the TV viewer really care if the player makes a mistake? Not really, we just want to enjoy the game.
English conversation is very similar. Two people are talking and it’s one person’s turn to speak. How much time do you need before you start talking? How much time will the other person wait?
Stop thinking. Start talking! It doesn’t matter if you make a mistake, just keep the conversation going!
New Worksheets and Videos
Before I finish my cup of tea, I want to show you what I’ve made since the last newsletter:
Worksheets:
- True Story – The stones that move by themselves in Death Valley
- News – Delhi Police find lost iPhone in just 3 hours
Videos:
- English News Lesson – Do NOT Push This Red Button!
I also uploaded 5 short videos and 1 post. You can find them on my Instagram or YouTube.
Wrap-up
And that’s it! Thank you for joining me for tea! If you’re enjoying my blog and would like to get new posts in your email, please subscribe. If you have friends who might like these posts, please share this link with them. I really appreciate it!
All the best,
Nick
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