Harry’s embarrassing first day (by Jane Lawson at DailyStep.com)
Harry was so happy last Monday morning. But by the evening, he was miserable. Let me explain why. After 5 years of studying law, and several months of applying for jobs, Harry had finally managed to get a foot in the door with a small law firm in London. He had always wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a successful lawyer. He was proud that this was finally happening and that at last he would be able to stand on his own two feet financially.
On the first day of his new job, he arrived very early and sat down at the desk by the window waiting for his colleagues to arrive. He decided to make a quick phone call. Just as he was picking up the phone, a tall man in an expensive suit came through the door.
“Who on earth are you and what are you doing at my desk?” he asked, sounding rather annoyed.
“I’m Harry Charman, it’s my first day here… I’m so sorry, I didn’t know this was your desk” said Harry, feeling embarrassed that he had got off on the wrong foot with one of his new colleagues. In fact, the tall, dark-suited man was Harry’s new boss, and he wasn’t a very nice man.
At the end of the day, around 5 pm, a smartly-dressed woman arrived. It was Harry’s boss’s wife. His boss was on the phone at the time, so Harry, seeing that the woman was heavily pregnant, said,
“Let me get you a chair. You shouldn’t be standing for long in your condition. And can I offer you a cup of tea?”
“What condition?” said the woman, icily. Harry realised with a shock that she was not pregnant at all.
“I…er… no, you look great, not pregnant at all, and er… not fat either… no, no not at all fat” he stammered, as his boss put down the phone and glared at him furiously. Harry had really put his foot in it this time. He just wanted the ground to swallow him up.
So, poor Harry’s first day didn’t go well! But did you notice all the ‘foot’ idioms?
Did you notice all the ‘foot’ idioms used in the little story about Harry’s first day at work? Read these explanations, and then try to write your own examples.
1. To get a foot in the door
Meaning: to take the first step in doing something or to complete the first step in a process
Example: It was hard for him to get a foot in the door in the TV company but eventually he managed to get a job as the tea boy.
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2. To follow in someone’s footsteps
Meaning: to do what someone else has done (often to do the same job as one's father or mother)
Example: He decided to follow in his mother’s footsteps and become a doctor.
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3. To stand on your own two feet
Meaning: to be independent and self-sufficient
Example: It’s time he started standing on his own two feet! He is over thirty and his parents are still supporting him.
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4. To get off on the wrong foot
Meaning: to make a bad start to a relationship
Example: He got off on the wrong foot with his mother-in-law, because had been talking about how much he disliked pasta dishes, only to find that this was what she was serving for dinner. (note: we can also say ‘he started off on the wrong foot.’)
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5. To put your foot in it
Meaning: to say something that is the wrong thing to say in a situation
Example: I really put my foot in it with Sarah. I said ‘I’m so sorry to hear you are losing your job’, and it turned out she didn’t even know about it yet! She was so upset! (note: we can also say ‘I really put my foot in my mouth’, and in fact this is the full idiom, but we rarely say it like this.)