I was wondering if anyone knows where the phrase "cold feet" comes from. I know it means a sudden reluctance to procede, but why does it mean that?

Dear consuelo: The phrase "cold feet" must be really ancient. Obviously it is the opposite of to "hot foot it" meaning to move rapidly. I found a site with hundreds of phrases explained, but they did not have any search system I could find. It's probably in there somewhere, you might enjoy browsing it.

http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsIndex.htm

Here's another URL, with discussion of the phrase.

http://www.shu.ac.uk/web-admin/phrases/bulletin_board/7/messages/258.html

is it because she got frightened?
is it because dead people don't advance?

Perhaps this is a little more explanatory:

http://www.futurehealth.org/smilebio.htm

It seems to make some sense, anyway!

It seems to make some sense, anyway!

Sure does, CK--thank you. When I get nervous, my hands always get cold--haven't noticed my feet. I wonder why the expression didn't come to be, "She got cold hands"?

About another part of this excerpt, I've known for years that if I'm feeling a little tense, making myself smile even if I don't feel like it causes a good bit of relaxation of the facial muscles, and that often does have the effect of making me feel like smiling!

I always heard "Cold hands, warm heart" They must have known you!

! Merci...

CK's post reminded me of a fancy Siamese cat we had back in the thirties. If you gave it a dish of cold milk, it would pick up its hind feet one at a time and shake them, obviously a reflex whereby the cold milk in the throat caused vasoconstriction in the extremities.

making myself smile even if I don't feel like it causes a good bit of relaxation of the facial muscles

If you relax your forehead all the muscles in your face relax.
Try it.
It works.

making myself smile even if I don't feel like it causes a good bit of relaxation of the facial muscles

If you relax your forehead all the muscles in your face relax.
Mmm, purr-rr...