Meaning of pussyfoot in EnglishExamples of pussyfootpussyfoot For too long now we have been pussyfooting around. I thought this restraint was taking pussyfooting almost too far. We cannot go on pussyfooting by means of little announcements by civil servants and others. That is not pussyfooting but a coherent philosophy of good government. Yet we seem to be pussyfooting along without meeting what is going to be a very serious social problem. Lamentably, pussyfooting goes on and on and on as the chosen order of march, as these proposals so amply demonstrate. Does not this problem show that the time has come to stop pussyfooting about extending human rights legislation? I do not think that the public very much appreciates the sort of pussyfooting attitude which has surrounded the particular incident over the past week. There is a sense of 'pussyfooting' around the problem. I think it is time to stop pussyfooting around this issue and be tough with governments and tough with ourselves. We have pussyfooted on that issue for far too long. The sailor's best friend or worst enemy would never describe him as a narrow-minded pussyfoot. When will he stop pussyfooting about and get on with it? Is it necessary for us to pussyfoot around? I am sick and tired of our pussyfooting attitude. These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors. Translations of pussyfootin Chinese (Traditional) 優柔寡斷，縮手縮腳，畏首畏尾… in Chinese (Simplified) 优柔寡断，缩手缩脚，畏首畏尾… in Spanish andar sigilosamente, ir pisando huevos, ir con cautela… in Portuguese agir timidamente… in French in Turkish in Czech in Danish in Indonesian in Thai in Vietnamese in Polish in Malay in German in Norwegian in Ukrainian in Italian Need a translator? Get a quick, free translation! BrowseWhat is the meaning of ‘pussyfoot’? (Subhayu Saha, Murshidabad) This word is mostly used in informal contexts and has several different meanings. One of them is to tread or walk softly like a cat. We all know that cats — including big ones like lions, tigers, leopards, etc. — can sneak up on their prey without making a sound. *The burglar pussyfooted down the stairs. In the early 1900s, the word was frequently used in America to refer to a detective. Understandable, I guess, since detectives have to keep an eye on others without being seen or heard. With the passage of time, ‘pussyfoot’ acquired a negative connotation. Nowadays, when you tell someone to ‘stop pussyfooting around/about’, you want the person to stop being indecisive. You would like him to stop being timid, and commit himself to a course of action. *Das, will you please stop pussyfooting around and tell us what you want done. *Stop pussyfooting about, and tell me what you think of my painting. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, popularised the use of the word. What is the origin of the idiom ‘to pull someone’s leg’? (R Gautham, Bangalore) The expression has been part of the language for several hundred years, and it is mostly used nowadays to mean to tease or play a joke on someone. *I enjoy pulling Devi’s leg once in a while. Remember, it is always ‘leg’ and not ‘legs’. No one is really sure about the origin of this idiom. Some believe that in the past, it was common practice among robbers to make use of a wire or a cane to trip unsuspecting passers-by. While the stunned victim was on the ground, the other members of the gang relieved him of his valuables. How is the expression ‘tete-a-tete’ pronounced? (Dhanraj, Kasaragod) There seem to be several ways of pronouncing this French expression. According to the Cambridge Dictionary the ‘tete’ rhymes with words like ‘mate’, ‘fate’ and ‘date’, while the following ‘a’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. The expression is pronounced ‘tate-e-TATE’ with the main stress on the final syllable. It is also possible to make the word ‘tete’ rhyme with ‘pet’, ‘set’ and ‘bet’. In French, the expression literally means ‘head to head’. When you have a ‘tete-a-tete’ with someone, you have a private conversation with the person. The expression suggests that only two persons are involved. *The young couple had a quiet tete-a-tete over lunch this afternoon. What is the difference between ‘Please come’ and ‘Please do come’? (R Simon, Chennai) In both cases, you are inviting a person to an event. ‘Please come’ is a straightforward request; it is something that we all say in order to sound polite. The word ‘do’ is sometimes included to add emphasis to a request; in this case, you genuinely want or very strongly feel that the person to be present at the event. You are urging him to come. Please take/do take another sweet. *Sneha looks/does look pretty in that dress. ****** “Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It’s not fair that some men should be happier than others.” — Oscar Wilde > |
Whats the meaning of pussy foot?
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