Cold feet
Cold feet is apprehension or doubt strong enough to prevent a planned course of action.[1]
The origin of the term itself has been 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.[2]
The behaviour may be modelled as a tension between temptation and self control. If pessimism increases as the point of no return approaches then the individual may balk and refuse to proceed.[3] If they proceed regardless then buyer's remorse is the similar feeling experienced after the event.
Taking a bold decision rather than suffering indecision or cold feet is known as crossing the Rubicon.
Marriage
Some people fear the commitment of sex and get cold feet before losing their virginity.[4]
References
- ^ Tristan J. Loo (2006), Street Negotiation: How to Resolve Any Conflict Anytime
- ^ Barnhart, David K. (1997). America in So Many Words: Words That Have Shaped America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. p. 191.
- ^ Epstein, Larry G. and Kopylov, Igor (2007), "Cold Feet", Theoretical Economics, 2: 231–259
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Tony Mathews (2003), There's More Than One Color in the Pew
External links
- "Expert Advice on Cold Feet" – Article from Brides Magazine
- "Cold Feet Common in Brides-to-Be" ABC News Good Morning America, May 1, 2005
- "When Did We Get 'Cold Feet'? The Germans had 'em first!", by Daniel Engber, Slate.com, May 3, 2005
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