The idiom “back foot” refers to a defensive or losing position, possibly originating from boxing, cricket, rugby, or soccer. It has evolved to be used in abstract competitions, such as in business. “Hindfoot” and other idioms can also be used to express the same idea.
The English idiom “back foot” refers to a defensive or even losing position. Those who are “on the break” are in defence, in a position of disadvantage, or are defending a territory. This phrase appears to come from a sports analogy, although opinions differ as to its actual origin.
Many who use this phrase consider it to come from the sport of boxing. In boxing, fighters who are on their back foot are in a defensive position. The physics of this positioning has to do with how the lower body and upper body coordinate for defensive defense and offensive attack, for example, a fighter plants one foot forward to execute a aggressive punch, exactly opposite to the stance described here.
In British society, many people interpret the phrase “on the back foot” as referring to cricket, a popular national sport. Experts point out that in cricket a player can be at a disadvantage while protecting a territory. Some British speakers also explain this phrase as being related to contact sports such as rugby.
Others see the phrase as pertaining to football, or “soccer” as it is called elsewhere. In this sport, the idiom can refer to a defending action intended to keep the ball away from the opponent. In both football and boxing, the word “backpedaling” could be used to describe a similar defensive procedure.
Over time, the phrase has gone from being literally applied to sports and physical contests, to being used for any kind of more abstract competition. A prime example is in the business world, where the party might be described as “at a disadvantage” if it is engaged in a losing price war with a competitor, lagging behind in product development or losing market share. Even business leaders can use this phrase if they feel they are unable to predict sales numbers, plan for future operations, or leverage existing capital.
Some speakers may use the phrase “hindfoot” in a variety of ways. For example, someone might say “I was on my back foot” to describe a personal challenge. Similarly, this phrase can also be applied to a third person in a similar context. Others might substitute different idioms to express the same idea, such as saying that someone was “on the ropes” as a losing participant in a conflict. This phrase has to do with the demarcations of an arena for both boxing and televised wrestling.
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