🗓️ Idiom: Put Your Foot Down (v)
💬 Meaning
- To take a firm stand or make a strong decision, especially when refusing something.
- To show authority and say “no” clearly when you disagree or feel something is unfair.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The manager finally put her foot down when employees kept missing deadlines.
- I had to put my foot down and tell the supplier that late deliveries were unacceptable.
- When the complaints continued, the team leader put his foot down and set clear rules.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom likely comes from the image of stopping something firmly by putting your foot on the ground. It became popular in the 19th century to describe people showing determination or authority — like pressing a foot down to stop motion or make something final.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
After weeks of delays, the client decided to _______ and demand results.
Answer
put their foot down
2. Multiple choice:
What does it mean to “put your foot down”?
a) To stay quiet about a problem
b) To take a firm stand and refuse something
c) To agree with everyone else
Answer
b) To take a firm stand and refuse something
3. Change the sentence using “put your foot down”:
“The manager finally refused to accept more last-minute changes.”
Answer
The manager finally put her foot down and and refused to accept more last-minute changes.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
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👉 Idioms for Complaints
👉 Business English Idioms List
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Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
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