Quote
1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.
“I think this industry can be tough on everyone.You have to surround yourself with supportive people and know when to put your foot down and do what’s best for you and your family.”
Singer Rebecca Ferguson, talking about how women are treated in the music industry (Marie Claire)
Definition
1. Definition - Study the definition.
insist; be firm
2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.
Have you ever tried standing on one leg? You feel pretty wobbly, and if you’re not careful, you might fall down. To make sure you continue standing, you’ll probably need to put your foot down. When you put your foot down, you stand firmly. You have better balance, and you won’t topple over.
You can also put your foot down figuratively. It means you insist on something. You’re absolutely firm in making a statement or decision. For example, a mom might put her foot down that her kids go to bed at exactly 8 o’clock. A doctor might put his foot down and tell a patient with poor health to stop smoking or drinking alcohol.
Singer Rebecca Ferguson knows that it’s important for her to take care of her family. She puts her foot down when people try to take away her time with her kids. She insists that her family comes first, and she’s not going to change her position.
Have you ever put your foot down? What is so important to you that you’ll never change your opinion about it?
Examples
1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.
“I am putting my foot down. No more drug use in this house.”
“The teacher put her foot down and failed all the students who cheated on the exam.”
“We really wanted a pet when we were kids, but our dad put his foot down: no animals in the house!”