# flatfooted

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## English
### Etymology

From flat +‎ footed.

### Adjective

flatfooted (comparative more flatfooted, superlative most flatfooted)
* Having flat feet.
** 2011, Peg Tittle -, Critical Thinking: An Appeal to Reason, →ISBN:Most small children are flatfooted.
* Blunt and unsubtle; lacking finesse.
** 1956, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Advertising of Alcoholic Beverages:If that is not a flatfooted disregard of what this committee said was bad taste, I do not know what it is.
** 2010, Chris Lewit -, Tennis Technique Bible Volume One, →ISBN, page 20:I have many top ranked sectional and national level kids come to my program and I cannot even believe how flatfooted they are—not because they lack the talent—simply because no coach ever demanded the extra footwork effort from them.
** 2010, Scott Aikin, Epistemology and the Regress Problem, →ISBN:This flatfooted sketch of how experience provides us with reasons has two nodes.
** 2011, Emily W. Leider, Myrna Loy: The Only Good Girl in Hollywood, →ISBN:It's contrived and flatfooted, and neither Loy nor Powell enjoyed making it, despite its bang-up finale: a free-for-all wedding featuring two brides (Margit and Irene), two grooms, a confused preacher, quite a few drunks from the bar next door, and a maximum of conmmotion -- all crammed into Charlie's tiny trailer in a Capra-esque crowd scene.

#### Derived terms

* flatfootedly
* flatfootedness

#### Translations
### Adverb

flatfooted (comparative more flatfooted, superlative most flatfooted)
* Unprepared to respond; unready.
    They were caught flatfooted when Clancy filed to enter the race.
** 2010, Tami Hoag, Deeper than the Dead, →ISBN:Caught mentally flatfooted, Anne couldn't think of a response.
** 2011, David D. Corbett, Portfolio Life: The New Path to Work, Purpose, and Passion After 50, →ISBN:No one should be caught flatfooted by the lengthening of middle age
** 2014, Luke Patey, The New Kings of Crude, →ISBN:In contrast, as the crisis unfolded, India stood flatfooted, only reacting after the damage was done.
* Putting the entire foot down at once, rather than landing on the heel or ball of the foot and then lowering the rest of the foot.
** 1980, Peter Hellman, Avenue of the Righteous, page 82:"He claimed that Jews walk flatfooted like a camel— including me.
** 1988, Carmen Tabije Andin, Teaching Physical Education in Philippine Schools, →ISBN, page 147:Hit take-off board flatfooted in a hard stamp; take-off feet under body with slight dip at knee.
* With one's feet flat on the ground.
** 2010, F. Paul Wilson, The Touch: Book III of the Adversary Cycle, →ISBN:The figure came up and squatted flatfooted on his haunches next to Patsy.
* (of drinking) Without pausing between swallows.
** 1952, William T. Campbell, Big Beverage, page 269:Proficient drinkers could spill out an ounce, or an ounce and a half, or two, from the neck of a Solo Soda bottle in the dark, measured to the very dram, refill it with corn whisky, turn it upside down with the thumb placed carefully over the bottle's lip— for a good mix, and luck— and drink it down, flatfooted.

### Verb

flatfooted
* simple past and past participle of flatfoot