origin of "cool your heels"?
Catherine Richardson
Greetings! I've poked through the FAQ, but not found any mention of the
phrase to "cool one's heels" (referring to a spell of waiting after
rushing about). I'd guess that the expression arises from the suggestion
that one's feet might be hot after rushing about, but when I suggested
this explanation to a curious friend, he thought it was "too prosaic".
Does anyone here have other suggestions about the origin of this phrase?
Thanks!
- Catherine.
--
Catherine Richardson (ric...@mcmaster.ca), wearer of many hats:
Almost-grad of Hons. Linguistics, CIS Senior Student Consultant,
T.A. for Linguistics 1A06, Polyglot and Aspiring Lexicographer
John Davies
In article <6g5vba$a...@mcmail.CIS.McMaster.CA>, Catherine Richardson
<ric...@mcmail.cis.McMaster.CA> writes
>Greetings! I've poked through the FAQ, but not found any mention of the
>phrase to "cool one's heels" (referring to a spell of waiting after
>rushing about). I'd guess that the expression arises from the suggestion
>that one's feet might be hot after rushing about, but when I suggested
>this explanation to a curious friend, he thought it was "too prosaic".
The phrase means to be kept waiting for eg an appointment or meeting: it
has nothing to do with a prior spell of rushing about. This
interpretation is supported by Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable,
which unfortunately gives no explanation of the phrase's origin.
My own guess, and it's no more than that, is that it might refer to the
idle swinging of the feet that often attends a period of enforced
waiting and the boredom that ensues from it. "To kick one's heels" is
used in a similar situation, with a rather more transparent meaning.
--
John Davies (jo...@redwoods.demon.co.uk)
Garry J. Vass
In article <6g5vba$a...@mcmail.CIS.McMaster.CA>, Catherine Richardson
<ric...@mcmail.cis.McMaster.CA> writes
"Sit down, put your feet up, and stay a while..." probably led to the
notion of "cooling one's heels", perhaps combined with "cooling-off
period", as a suggestion for someone to regain one's self-control.
I am not aware of its use before the mid '60's. This was followed by
"Cool it", "Back off", "Chill out", "Lighten up", and finally "Chill".
--
Garry J. Vass
"...Put off thy shoes from off thy feet..."
--Exodus 3.2
Truly Donovan
On 4 Apr 1998 13:49:14 -0500, ric...@mcmail.cis.McMaster.CA
(Catherine Richardson) wrote:
>Greetings! I've poked through the FAQ, but not found any mention of the
>phrase to "cool one's heels" (referring to a spell of waiting after
>rushing about). I'd guess that the expression arises from the suggestion
>that one's feet might be hot after rushing about, but when I suggested
>this explanation to a curious friend, he thought it was "too prosaic".
>
>Does anyone here have other suggestions about the origin of this phrase?
Around here (most parts of the USA -- I've dwelt in quite a few of
them) "to cool one's heels" has nothing to do with rushing about but
rather with being left to wait an unconscionable amount of time for
something -- "Our meeting was scheduled for 4 o'clock, but he left me
cooling my heels in the lobby until 6:30."
--
Truly Donovan
reply to truly at lunemere dot com
pet...@ms.com
In article <3526f64e...@news3.ibm.net>,
Yes. The "rushing about part" is hot-footing it. Try
walking slowly on a Macadam raod on a hot day and you
can see where this comes from.
Hth
Pjk
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