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Tag: Put Your Foot Down

  • Put Your Foot Down

    🗓️ 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

    📚 Learning Resources
    👉 Idioms for Complaints
    👉 Business English Idioms List

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  • Put Your Foot Down

    🗓️ Idiom: Put Your Foot Down (verb)

    💬 Meaning

    • To assert authority firmly and refuse to allow something.
    • To make a strong stand when dealing with complaints or problems.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • The manager put her foot down when employees complained about unrealistic deadlines.
    • He finally put his foot down and refused to accept poor-quality work from the team.
    • Parents often have to put their foot down when children complain about rules or limits.

    🏛️ Origin

    The idiom originates from the action of pressing your foot down to stop a vehicle or enforce control. In English, it evolved to mean asserting authority or making a firm decision, often in response to complaints or requests.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:
    When staff kept requesting extra breaks, the manager had to ________.

    Answer

    put her foot down

    2. Multiple choice:
    To “put your foot down” means:
    a) Agree with everyone
    b) Assert authority firmly
    c) Avoid responsibility

    Answer

    b) Assert authority firmly

    3. Change the sentence using “put your foot down”:
    “The director refused to let the team ignore safety procedures.”

    Answer

    The director put her foot down and insisted the team follow all safety procedures.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

    📚 Learning Resources

    👉 Idioms for Complaints
    👉 Business English Idioms List

    👥 Support Spaces

    👉 Student Space
    👉 Tutor Toolkit

    ⭐️ Extras

    📫 Get a Daily Idiom
    🚀 Build a Business with AI