What does it mean to get “cold legs”?

There are a number of events in life that require a definitive decision or commitment. For example, marriage ceremony, main transactions with real estate or changing physicians, for example, leave very little space for hesitation or second thoughts around a particular point without a return. When a person faces the moment of crisis or loss of courage just before accepting a significant personal risk, it is often said that they suffer from the case of cold legs. Many people are nervous whenever the severity or consequences of an upcoming decision or commitment are fully realized. For example, the idea of ​​a complete abandonment of a bachelor's lifestyle can cause the groom to hesitate about his upcoming wedding. The same applies to the bride that has the last minute reservations about life. This anxiety led to some brides or groom escaped from the ceremony or completely abolished the wedding.

other people can experience this reactionwhen negotiating the main purchase of real estate or other financial conduct. The original plan to buy a new home can make a perfect sense at the time, but unexpected delay or expensive repairs can make the potential buyer develop cold legs and evolves from the agreement before concluding. The idea of ​​obtaining a "monetary pit" or assuming that a barely available mortgage can cause many buyers hesitating before signing on a dotted line.

The history of the gaining cold legs is a bit intricate. Many sources say this first appeared at Stephen Crane's work from 1894 Maggie: Child of streets . The character shows his admiration for a man who does not suffer from doubts whenever he has to be difficult. Others say that this sentence was popular in Germany during the 1960s and describes players and others whose livelihood depended on the fact that in its decisions it is sovereignly confident.

Some sources even indicate that description as a metaphor forThe lost courage can be traced back to the writings of Ben Jonson, at the same time William Shakespeare. However, this particular legacy seems to be related to the feeling of poverty, but not a sudden loss of strength or courage. Literally, having cold legs from the lack of the right shoes could actually make one more cautious or hesitant, so its possible concepts contributed to the popularity of phrase.

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