Off on the wrong foot

Meaning

The idiom "off on the wrong foot" means to start something with a mistake, misstep, or misunderstanding that leads to failure or negative consequences. It can also mean that someone is not behaving appropriately or has made a poor decision from the beginning.

Usage

• "It was a disaster from the very beginning when I started my new job off on the wrong foot."
• "The relationship was doomed from the start as they both had different expectations and went off on the wrong foot."
• "I made an embarrassing mistake during my presentation, and it set me back right from the get-go."
• "After making a grave error in judgment, he found himself off on the wrong foot with his friends."
• "The company's new CEO started off on the wrong foot with their employees, leading to low morale and high turnover rates."

Roots and History

The idiom "off on the wrong foot" has been in use since at least the 17th century. It originates from an earlier expression, "to have one's foot in the stirrup," which means to be ready for action or to start something. The expression evolved into "to have one's foot in the wrong stirrup," meaning to take an incorrect course of action or to step in the wrong direction. Over time, this evolved into its current form, "off on the wrong foot."

Synonyms in English

• "To get off on the wrong track"
• "To be on the wrong path"
• "To make a misstep"
• "To start on the wrong note"
• "To set oneself up for failure"

Synonyms in other languages

• Spanish: "En el mal camino" (On the wrong path)
• French: "Sur le mauvais chemin" (On the wrong road)
• German: "Auf dem falschen Weg" (On the wrong way)
• Italian: "Sull'errato sentiero" (On the wrong path)
• Russian: "На неправильном пути" (On the wrong path)

Similar Idioms

• out of sight, out of mind

• over my dead body

• on the case