What does 'get cold feet' mean?

What it means: To become nervous or hesitant about something you were committed to doing - often at the last minute. Someone who gets cold feet was ready to do something but then felt fear or doubt and pulled back.

• Weddings: "He got cold feet and called it off"
• Decisions: "I was going to resign, but I got cold feet"
• Business: "The investor got cold feet at the last minute"

Why this phrase: The connection between cold feet and fear is old - possibly from the idea that fear makes blood rush away from your extremities, leaving your feet cold. It's been in English since the 19th century.

The key detail: Cold feet implies hesitation about something you were going to do, not something you were unsure about from the start. The commitment was there - then doubt appeared.

• "Get nervous" or "bottle it" (British, informal) - lost nerve
• "Back out" - withdrew from a commitment
• "Have second thoughts" - began to doubt a decision
• "Get scared off" - when something external caused the fear

Register: Casual to neutral. Common in everyday conversation and casual professional settings.

Tags: idiom, fear, decisions, relationships, everyday English