Cold feet is a phrase that refers to a person not going through with an action, particularly one which requires long-term commitment, due to fear, uncertainty, and doubt. A person is said to be "getting cold feet" when, after previously committing to a plan, they ultimately do not carry out the planned course of action. [1]
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The origin of the term itself has been largely attributed to American author Stephen Crane, who added the phrase, in 1896, to the second edition of his short novel Maggie: A Girl of the Streets . [7] [8] Crane writes, "I knew this was the way it would be. They got cold feet." The term is present in "Seed Time and Harvest" by Fritz Reuter, published in 1862. [8] [9] [10] Kenneth McKenzie, a former professor of Italian at Princeton University attributed the first use of the phrase to the play Volpone , produced by Ben Jonson in 1605. [8] [9] The true origin and first usage of the phrase remains debated and unconfirmed as exemplified above.
A common use of the phrase is when people fear the commitment of marriage and get "cold feet" before a wedding ceremony. [11] [12] This premarital doubt or fear may manifest for a variety of reasons and sometimes cause the bride or groom to back out of a planned marriage. [12] [13] Original research on the "cold feet" phenomenon is very limited, but a four-year study conducted by UCLA researchers found feelings of premarital doubt or uncertainty about an impending marriage were associated with future marital problems and a viable predictor of divorce. [13] [14]
