Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Proverbs 141. The proverb today is put your best foot forward. Okay. Let's take a look at the note here. If someone puts his or her best foot forward , he or she tries as hard as they possibly can or they have the ability to do something. So they're trying as much as as they have the ability to do. They're doing their best. All right. So let's, let's continue with the note here. The first citing of this proverb is found in a poem by Sir Thomas Overbury named "A Wife" in the early 1600's. So that, that one was pretty exact. Where it says you know, put your best foot forward. There may have been some earlier versions of this proverb. You know, before the 1600s. One of the most popular you know, one of the earlier ones is a line in a Shakespeare ... in Shakespeare's King Lear that play. Here is the quote "Nay but make haste the better foot before. " Okay. So nay is always a negative like don't. Don't make haste. Don't, don't waste time. The better ... you know, put your best foot forward basically. The idea the better foot before. Well it's not an exact match to put your best foot forward but the idea is pretty similar. So the idea of this proverb might have been around even before the 1600s. It may have formed into this in the 1600s. So even Shakespeare use the better foot before. Meaning put the better foot out front. Basically. So same idea basically. Let's continue. The origin of how it came about you know, how it started is uncertain. So they don't know 100%, is uncertain but there are a few theories. One history tour claimed that when young ladies made curtsies ... you know, like in the old days. They, they pulled the dress out and they went down like this. They were told to put their best foot forwards. Because they had to put one forward, foot forward and then bend down like that in order to make a curtsy. Or young men made a bow. They were told to put their best foot forward. So maybe they put their foot forward and they bowed down. So . Yeah. Okay. So that could be a possibility from where it came from. It sounds logical. I don't know if it's really correct. They don't seem to be able to find proof of this, but it is a theory that some people think. Another possible theory of the origin is to put your best foot forward or right foot forward. Because remember, they often especially in the Middle Ages right and left, right was good last was bad. So maybe for a long journey you should start with your best foot which would be your right foot. basically. That's kind of what they're saying. All right. And we just got a couple of examples here. If you are going on an interview. Always put your best foot forward. Okay. That's typical of what somebody might say. You know , try your hardest do your best It's kind of like that idea. Or number two. If you want to impress the boss , you must put your best foot forward on this project. You must do your best. So that you know , he'll notice you. That you'll impress him. Okay. I hope you got it. I hope it's clear. Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.
A2 US foot put proverb shakespeare haste nay English Tutor Nick P Proverbs (141) Put Your Best Foot Forward 13 0 anitawu12 posted on 2019/08/06 More Share Save Report Video vocabulary