"Get Your Feet Wet" Idiom Meaning, Origin & History | Superduper English Idioms
Channel: Superduper English Idioms
Date: 2020-12-26

0:00 - How to Say, “Get your feet wet.”
0:23 - Examples of “Get your feet wet.”
1:13 - Meaning of “Get your feet wet.”
1:44 - Origin of “Get your feet wet.”
3:05 - More Examples of “Get your feet wet.”
3:54 - Conclusion

“Get your feet wet.”

When you “get your feet wet,” you mean that you’re doing something you’ve never done before, are easing into something unfamiliar, are trying out something new.

“You’ve never tried sushi before? Let’s go to this Japanese restaurant so you can get your feet wet!” your friend might say as you guys are trying to choose a place for lunch.

Maybe you’re considering medical school when your dad says, “You should get your feet wet by volunteering at the hospital. You may or may not enjoy working in the medical field.”

“When you go on a date, you’re just getting your feet wet… it’s not marriage!” your friend might be encouraging you to go out with someone she thinks is nice.

As you can tell, if you “get your feet wet,” you’re trying something out for a limited time, exploring something without making a commitment, “getting a feel for it”.

Other idioms that are similar to “get your feet wet”, include; “dip a toe in the water” and “test the waters”.

The origin of the idiom, “get your feet wet,” is said to come from swimming, where you might put your feet in the water to get used to it first, and has been in use since at least the 16th century.

Depending on your personality, you might be reluctant to “get your feet wet”, preferring to stay in your “comfort zone”...

… which is not really a good thing; because in life, all the things that you’re comfortable and familiar with were once new and unknown!

If you find that you’re reluctant to make a commitment to something new, you don’t want to try something different, just say to yourself that you’re merely “getting your feet wet”...

… who knows? Maybe after you get your feet wet, you’ll “dive right in”! The thing you were reluctant about might be the most wonderful thing you’ve tried in a while.

“I got my feet wet by knitting a scarf last month and now I’m addicted to it!” your best friend might be telling you.

Perhaps you’re new to trading stocks, so your friend says, “Before investing real money, get your feet wet by trying your hand at a virtual stock simulator.”

“Don’t buy all the fanciest equipment and tools just yet… get your feet wet with basic tools first. You might not even like it!” your mom might be advising you about a new hobby.

So, the next time you’d like to try something out, give something a go, “take it for a test drive”, get used to something new, just know that you’ll “get your feet wet”.

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