Cool one's heels

Posted by ESC on October 14, 2005

In Reply to: Cool one's heels posted by Bruce Kahl on October 14, 2005

: : Hi! Can you help me figure out what "cool one's heels" means? I think I know, but I don't know where it comes from. Thank you - Will from Mrs. Morrissey's class.

: It means to wait for a long time like today when I had to wait for my 2pm doctors appointment till 3.30.

: I always saw it as someone walking very fast to get to an appointment where friction would heat the bottom of the shoe and then while waiting for the appointment the bottom of the shoe cools off.

To cool one's heels -- To be kept waiting a long time, as for an appointment. The metaphor may allude to a horse who, tired after a long journey, stands in the stream from which it drinks. (From Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable revised by Adrian Room (HarperCollinsPublishers, New York, 1999, Sixteenth Edition.)

Since when...? Lewis 17/October/05
- Since when...? Smokey Stover 17/October/05
  - Since when...? Victoria S Dennis 17/October/05
    - Foot care Smokey Stover 17/October/05
      - Foot care Victoria S Dennis 17/October/05
        
        Podiatry Lewis 20/October/05
        
        Carry on Smokey Stover 21/October/05
        
        Carry on, Carry On Lewis 21/October/05
        
        Carry on, Carry On Smokey Stover 21/October/05
        
        Carry On Lewis 24/October/05