where does the phrase getting cold feet come from
Cold feet The origin of the term itself has been largely attributed to American author Stephen Crane, who added the phrase, in 1896, to the second edition of his short novel, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets.[7][8] Crane writes, "I knew this was the way it would be. They got cold feet." The term is present in "Seed Time and Harvest" by Fritz Reuter published in 1862.[8][9][10] Kenneth McKenzie, a former professor of Italian at Princeton University attributed the first use of the phrase to the play Volpone produced by Ben Jonson in 1605.[8][9] The true origin and first usage of the phrase remains debated and unconfirmed as exemplified above.
And did those feet in ancient time The phrase "green and pleasant land" has become a collocation for identifiably English landscape or society. It appears as a headline, title or sub-title in numerous articles and books. Sometimes it refers, whether with appreciation, nostalgia or critical analysis, to idyllic or enigmatic aspects of the English countryside.[19] In other contexts it can suggest the perceived habits and aspirations of rural middle-class life.[20] Sometimes it is used ironically,[21] e.g. in the Dire Straits song "Iron Hand".