English Lessons Brighton

Should you say “on foot” or “by foot”?

by Phil Williams | Apr 23, 2014 | Definitions , Grammar , Prepositions | 21 comments

walking on foot or by foot

We can use say both – with these justifications:

Why you should say  on foot

We usually use  on  for movements or actions that involve using body parts. You can rest on your elbows, you can pray on your knees, and you can lie on your back. Walking is no different – the action takes place  on foot .

Why you could say  by foot

We use  by to describe a tool used for movements or actions. You can travel by plane, by boat or by car, for instance. You can send letters by post, and you can write by hand. It stands to reason, then, that you can travel  by foot .

The problem

When you need to decide on proper preposition use, there are sometimes two possibilities which apparently have the same meaning, though one may be more common and seen as correct. This is particularly true when there is some crossover between the use of the preposition to link nouns. In this case,  on  can be used to mean the object, surface or means we travel atop, while  by  can mean the method transport we use. Travelling  on  something and using something to travel ( by ) can therefore produce the same meaning, with a different grammatical construction.

So which is more correct?

You move with your feet in contact with the ground, supported by your feet, making  on foot a more literal description of the action. Yet your feet are also a tool of sorts, so if we want to describe what you use to travel,  by foot makes perfect sense. It is not reasonable, then, to say one is more correct than the other. Yet you may be told that  by foot  is incorrect. Why? For the same reason that many rules exist in English:

Because  on foot  is more commonly used than  by foot .

The English language has adapted over many centuries, and different rules come and go when it comes to grammar. It is important to recognise when a rule emerges as a matter of style, or a matter of meaning, however. Many grammar rules exist to help clarify what is said. In this case, there is no firm rule, because one expression is not more clear than the other.

You may find English people argue about this, and many other rules and sayings, because one style sounds strange to the person who uses the other. These arguments serve no grammatical purpose, and work only to limit the language. When it comes to matters of style, choose the option that you prefer. You will not be misunderstood.

21 Comments

Jamie

Hi, I’m an English teacher and my students are confused about the grammar, based on this writing. I understand perfectly what you meant here but when we ask the question, how long does it take to get there on foot, ‘by foot’ instead of ‘on foot’ is also gramatically correct? I understand that by foot, on foot, by feet, on feet they yet all make sense and people wud easily understand what they want to say but there are certain gramatical rules, aren’t there? If you say to choose the option that you prefer when it comes to matters of style, I should teach any forms out of on foot, by foot, on feet and by feet are all up to their choices and nothing’s wrong with each, while the cambridge dictionary says ‘on foot’ is correct in grammar when we specifically talk about the means of transportation. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ …/grammatica…/by

Phil Williams

Hi Jamie, I can understand why you would prefer to simplify teaching such expressions for students and can certainly let them know that ‘on foot’ is the more common, and more commonly accepted, form, but unless you have a clear reason why ‘by foot’ should NOT be used (other than the fact it is not contained in a dictionary), then I wouldn’t recognise it as a grammar rule. As you say yourself it make senses and would be easily understood, what, then, is the rule? That we should only teach what is contained in a dictionary?

To be a rule of grammar, there would have to be a clear difference in meaning and room for misunderstanding: for example, ‘by car’ relates to usage, ‘on a car’ refers to a position on the vehicle. These are two very distinct meanings. If you don’t have that distinction between ‘on foot’ and ‘by foot’, and both are commonly understood, we do not have a rule of grammar, we have a matter of style, and indeed a choice. It’s certainly not something you have to teach, and students can get by on the most accepted definition alone, but I write articles like this because students come to me asking why they’ve been told a commonly used expression is incorrect, when it’s not incorrect, and will not cause confusion, it’s just less common.

Orla

Hi, thanks for your article. What do you think about the question below? I answered 3 but it’s incorrect. I’m wondering if answer1 is a better choice. Do people say “I go to work by bus?” Or “I go to work by taking a bus”? Thank you.

Linda: ______ do you go to work? Jimmy: ______ *

1.How ; I go to work by taking a bus. 2.In what way ; I go to work in the MRT. 3.How ; I go there by foot. 4.How long ; I ride a train to there.

Hi Orla, I don’t see anything wrong with 3, “I go there by foot” is acceptable. “I got there by bus” is also acceptable, yes – but “I go there by taking a bus” would sound a bit unnatural in casual speech. It’s not grammatically wrong but specifying ‘taking a bus’ sounds a rather elaborate – as we could more simply say ‘I go by bus’ or ‘I take the bus’.

mapofbeautyblog

What about by feet or by foot? While we are walking we use both of feet.

Hi Vlad, We use the singular as describing the method, rather than a literal description. This would be same for describing any method, similar to adjective forms of nouns, where we use singular as a descriptor (unless specifically trying to highlight different types of a noun). For example, “All the partygoers arrived by car.” (method – not telling us how many cars), or “All oven-baked bread tastes great.” (where “oven” describes the method regardless of how many ovens are used).

Victor Sevalnev

Hi, Phil, very useful! T now I will stick more to “on foot”! Another Q; A boy carried a knife carefully not to cut his finger..or to not… or in order not to… which is correct? thanks

Hi Victor, ‘to not’ or ‘in order not to’ would be best, for your version it would be more appropriate to use an adjective ograse: ‘a boy carried a knife, careful not to…’

Arnold

‘BY’ stands for ‘by means of…’ it’s perfectly correct to use it when the means are are not part of your body. Having said that you say ‘…by hand’. Hand being a tool. Although ‘…on foot’ is the more appropriate expression because the foot is the very essence of standing for the human body.

Dude NOT SO Perfect !!!

Hi Phil, I have a doubt on whether to use “on foot” or “by foot” in the following sentence:

Jawaharlal Nehru went from village to village _ foot On/By

Please help me out with this one. Thank you for your time and attention

Best Regards Sreehari

Hi Sreehari, As per the article, the more common/accepted option would be ‘on foot’, but you’d likely find many people would also say ‘by foot’ without any difference. Best,

Hi Phil, Thanking you once again for the clarification.

You’re welcome!

Chris B

I tell my students to simply use the verb to walk. It’s what native speakers use 95%+ of the time.

How did you get here? I walked.

That’s one way around it!

Irfan Khan

hello sir wiliams , I have a question about cycling what should we use by cycle or on cycle because here we use both foot and a mean for transportaion.

Hi Irfan – for cycling, we would refer to the bike/bicyle, as a mode of transport; “by bike/bicycle” or “on a bike/bicycle” – or for the verb, “by cycling”.

sweta

Are you going ____ foot ? (by/on)

Nowhere man

Thank you Phil Very good explanation. It will help me to remember the correct option It is always easier to learn some rules when you know the reason why it is like that

You’re welcome! And yes, that’s generally been my philosophy; and indeed, if we don’t know the reason for rules, we may always question their purpose/validity…

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English By Day

Everything you need to know about learning english

55 Foot / Feet Idioms (Meaning & Examples)

February 27, 2022 by Wes

Are you looking for some useful foot idioms ?

You are in the right place.

In this post, we will discuss 55 foot idioms that will make you sound like a native English speaker.

foot idioms

55 Foot / Feet Idioms And Phrases (Meaning & Examples)

1. to put one’s best foot forward.

  • Meaning : to make a good first impression.
  • Use In A Sentence : I told Mark he needs to put his best foot forward if he wants to do well on the job interview.

2. To Be Caught On The Wrong Foot

  • Meaning : to be caught by surprise or to not be ready for something because it happened so suddenly and unexpectedly.
  • Use In A Sentence : It seems I caught Diane on the wrong foot when she answered the door in her pajamas.

3. To Bind/Tie Someone Hand And Foot

  • Meaning : to restrict a person’s freedom to do something.
  • Use In A Sentence : Mark is bound hand and foot by his new contract. He can’t take a vacation for at least six months.

4. To Have A Foot In Both Camps

  • Meaning : to support two opposing groups of people.
  • Use In A Sentence : I don’t know if I trust Joe’s judgment, he has a foot in both camps.

5. To Have/Get A Foot In The Door

  • Meaning : a chance to do something that oftentimes will lead to more opportunities.
  • Use In A Sentence : I think you should work for John. It may not pay the most money, but it is a good way to get your foot in the door and possibly get a better job in the future.

6. To Foot The Bill

  • Meaning : to pay for something.
  • Use In A Sentence : I went to lunch with Jack this afternoon and he foot the bill .

7. To Get Off / Start Off On The Right Foot

  • Meaning : a positive start. To start something or begin something well.
  • Use In A Sentence : In order to start off on the right foot, get to know your co-workers as soon as possible.

8. To Get Off / Start Off On The Wrong Foot

  • Meaning : an unfavorable start or beginning of something. To have a bad start
  • Use In A Sentence : I got off on the wrong foot by telling my mother-in-law that I wanted to live far away from here.

9. To Have A Lead Foot

  • Meaning : used to describe a person that tends to drive fast.
  • Use In A Sentence : Tommy is known to have a lead foot. I have no doubt we will get to Milwaukee by the 6 o’clock deadline.

10. To Have The Shoe On The Other Foot

  • Meaning : a situation where the opposite is true. When someone’s situation has changed into another person’s situation.
  • Use In A Sentence : Before Mark always had health problems, but now the shoe is on the other foot and I am the one with all the health problems.

11. My Foot!

  • Meaning : an expression used to express disbelief.
  • Use In A Sentence : A ninety-nine dollar seafood platter? My foot! I don’t have ninety nine dollars to spend on a meal!

12. To Not Put/Set A Foot Wrong

  • Meaning : used to describe someone who seems not to make any mistakes.
  • Use In A Sentence : My brother never puts a foot wrong in my mother’s eyes.

13. To Have One Foot In The Grave

  • Meaning : Someone who is very sick or very old and is going to die very soon.
  • Use In A Sentence : The doctor says he has one foot in the grave and he probably won’t last much longer.

14. On Foot

  • Meaning : to travel by walking.
  • Use In A Sentence : My truck broke down so I had to go to work on foot.

15. To Put One’s Foot Down

  • Meaning : to take a firm stand on something. To be unyielding.
  • Use In A Sentence : I put my foot down and told them that I was not going to the party.

16. To Put One’s Foot To The Floor

  • Meaning : to drive quickly.
  • Use In A Sentence : I had to put my foot to the floor to make it to the movies on time.

17. To Put One Foot In Front Of The Other

  • Meaning : to do something carefully and deliberately.
  • Use In A Sentence : Don’t worry. There is nothing to be concerned about. Let’s just focus on putting one foot in front of the other and I am sure everything will be okay.

18. To Put One’s Foot In One’s Mouth

  • Meaning : to say something you regret. Usually something hurtful or stupid.
  • Use In A Sentence : Mario always puts his foot in his mouth. His wife continually reminds him to think before he speaks.

19. Set Foot In/On Something

  • Meaning : to visit a place.
  • Use In A Sentence : Are you excited about your trip? Yes, I have never set foot in Germany before.

20. To Shoot Oneself In The Foot

  • Meaning : to inadvertently ruin your plans/progress/success by something one says or does.
  • Use In A Sentence : I shot myself in the foot when I told my boss what I really thought.

21. To Wait On Somebody Hand And Foot

  • Meaning : to do everything for someone.
  • Use In A Sentence : His mother waits on him hand and foot. He doesn’t have to do anything.

22. To Be On The Back Foot

  • Meaning : to be in an unfavorable position. To retreat.
  • Use In A Sentence : My plan to buy a new house has been on the back foot ever since I lost my jobs.

23. Blisterfoot

  • Meaning : used to describe someone who spends a lot of time walking.
  • Use In A Sentence : The blisterfoot soliders were tired after a long day of work.

24. From Head To Foot/Toe

  • Meaning : one’s entire body.
  • Use In A Sentence : After his morning walk, our dog Sulley was covered from head to toe in mud.

25. To Live Under The Cat’s Foot

  • Meaning : to be nagged by another person.
  • Use In A Sentence : Tom has been living under the cat’s foot ever since the day he got married.

26. To Hotfoot It

  • Meaning : to walk somewhere as quickly as possible.
  • Use In A Sentence : We need to hotfoot it out of here before the teacher comes back into the classroom.

27. Fleet Of Foot

  • Meaning : to be able to run quickly.
  • Use In A Sentence : Cindy who was known to be a fleet of foot outran the other competitors and won the race.

28. Foot In Mouth Disease

  • Meaning : used to describe someone who tends to say the wrong thing at the wrong time.
  • Use In A Sentence : Jessica suffers from foot in mouth disease.

29. To Have One’s Foot On Someone’s Neck

  • Meaning : to be in a position of control over somebody.
  • Use In A Sentence : It appears Dave had his foot on Mark’s neck during the negotiations.

30. Flatfoot

  • Meaning : used to describe a person who is clumsy and awkward.
  • Use In A Sentence : I don’t know if I would want Sally to carry that glass table . She is so flatfooted!

31. To Foot Up

  • Meaning : to add something; to total.
  • Use In A Sentence : Jerry asked Michelle to foot up the costs of the project.

32. Footloose And Fancy-Free

  • Meaning : to do whatever you want without any commitments or obligations. It is usually used to refer to relationship commitments.
  • Use In A Sentence : Now that she broke up with Steve she is footloose and fancy-free.

33. To Get A Foothold On Something

  • Meaning : to be in a stable position so as to progress.
  • Use In A Sentence : Taking this job has really helped him get a foothold in the marketing industry.

34. To Have Both Feet On The Ground

  • Meaning : to be grounded. To have a realistic viewpoint about one’s goals or ideas.
  • Use In A Sentence : I enjoyed talking with Steve about his plans for the future. He seems to have both feet on the ground.

35. To Be At Someone’s Feet

  • Meaning : to be fascinated by someone and thus being influenced by them.
  • Use In A Sentence : As a young child, he was always at his father’s feet.

36. To Drag One’s Feet

  • Meaning : to move slowly because one does not want to do something.
  • Use In A Sentence : Will you quit dragging your feet. Go upstairs and wash your hands for dinner.

37. To Be Light On Your Feet

  • Meaning : to be able to move quickly and gracefully.
  • Use In A Sentence : I knew he liked to play sports, but I never expected him to be so light on his feet on the dance floor.

38. To Be Run Off One’s Feet

  • Meaning : used to describe someone who is very busy .
  • Use In A Sentence : Sue was run off her feet with the school girls visiting.

39. To Get Rushed Off One’s Feet

  • Meaning : to be worked very hard so that one is especially busy.
  • Use In A Sentence : We are going to have 25 people at our house tonight. Everyone is going to get rushed off their feet.

40. To Get Cold Feet

  • Meaning : to be anxious or nervous about doing something new, usually at the last minute.
  • Use In A Sentence : Billy always told me he wanted to ride the new roller coaster, but after he saw how big it was he got cold feet and decided not to go.

41. To Come To One’s Feet

  • Meaning : to stand up usually to applaud or to cheer.
  • Use In A Sentence : Suddenly the entire audience came to their feet and they started singing

42. To Be Dead On One’s Feet

  • Meaning : to be extremely tired to the point of falling asleep while on your feet.
  • Use In A Sentence : After working a double shift he was dead on his feet.

43. To Land On One’s Feet

  • Meaning : to successfully deal with a difficult situation.
  • Use In A Sentence : I wouldn’t worry about Stephanie. Even in the most difficult situations she always tends to land on her feet.

44. To Get One’s Feet Wet

  • Meaning : to try something new for the first time.
  • Use In A Sentence : Larry got his feet wet in the cleaning business by working with his older brother.

45. To Get/Have Itchy Feet

  • Meaning : to have the urge (itch) to travel , change jobs, move or break away from the same daily routine.
  • Use In A Sentence : Fernando has a hard time keeping a job for a long time. After a few years, he gets itchy feet to move somewhere else.

46. To Have Clay Feet

  • Meaning : to have a weakness.
  • Use In A Sentence : Even though Hollywood stars seem to be perfect they too have clay feet .

47. To Jump In With Both Feet

  • Meaning : to start something enthusiastically.
  • Use In A Sentence : Corey was hesitant about the new job. However, Ryan jumped in with both feet.

48. To Pull The Carpet / Rug Out From One’s Feet

  • Meaning : to suddenly, unexpectedly remove the help or assistance from someone.
  • Use In A Sentence : I would love to quit my job and start my own business, but I can’t just pull the carpet out from their feet like that.

49. To Regain One’s Feet

  • Meaning : to stand up after falling down. It can also mean to recover from a financial problem.
  • Use In A Sentence : I helped Megan regain her feet after she fell on the ground.

50. To Stand On One’s Own Two Feet

  • Meaning : to be independent, no longer needing assistance or support from other people.
  • Use In A Sentence : After losing his job, Gary’s parents helped him out until he was able to stand on his own two feet.

51. To Shake The Dust Off one’s Feet

  • Meaning : to leave a situation indignantly or disdainfully.
  • Use In A Sentence : The best thing you can do when someone hurts you is to shake the dust off your feet and move on.

52. To Sweep One Off One’s Feet

  • Meaning : to quickly and oftentimes unexpectedly charm someone.
  • Use In A Sentence : All women want a man who can sweep them off their feet.

53. To Think On Your Feet

  • Meaning : to think quickly. To think clearly in a difficult situation.
  • Use In A Sentence : I was glad Dan was able to think on his feet and come up with a solution so quickly. Without him, we wouldn’t have finished on time.

54. To Take A Load Off One’s Feet

  • Meaning : to sit down and rest; to lie down.
  • Use In A Sentence : I think you just need to go home and take a load off your feet.

55. To Vote With One’s Feet

  • Meaning : To show your disapproval by walking away.
  • Use In A Sentence : If they don’t like the coffee shop they will vote with their feet and go somewhere else.

There you have it! 55 Foot idioms. Which one is your favorite?

travel by foot meaning

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travel by foot meaning

On the Virtues of Traveling by Foot

Walking in the natural world can be the catalyst for personal transformation.

The German filmmaker Werner Herzog once declared “tourism is sin, and travel on foot virtue.” He should know, having once walked all the way from Munich to Paris. His larger point here refers to the authenticity and primacy of physically experiencing and interacting with a place, in contrast to more passive and modern modes of travel. The faster we travel and the more separated we are from our surroundings, the less we can really know of them. We know little of a place traveling through it by car; on a bicycle, our experience broadens; and traveling on foot—one footstep at a time—we come to know a place both physically and intellectually. Traveling on foot can even be a sacred and holy act, as pilgrims from most religious faiths can attest. The means of traveling on foot—or in some cases, on one’s knees—over a long and arduous route are themselves an act of faith that is equally important as reaching the end, whatever that holy site or destination may be.

An idea central to the practice of T’ai Chi is rootedness , the strength and grounding of position that occurs when the body contacts the earth through the feet, establishing a kind of harmonious flow of energy, which is dynamically balanced by fluid movement of the body. Walking or hiking can likewise engage our bodies in a similar kind of kinesthetic experience and harmony with the place through which we are passing. The character of a place may come to us to a certain degree through our senses, but as adventurer and natural navigator Tristan Gooley has written, “We are more likely to understand where we have traveled if we walk it ourselves than if we are carried—even if we are deprived of all of our external senses.”

There is something about immersing oneself physically in a place, I have found, especially over time and across seasons. It yields fascinating insights into a place’s true nature, its unique character. I’ve just as often found, however, that walking in natural or wild places stimulates a kind of depth of thought and contemplation, that—regardless of whether or not it relates directly to the landscape—results in problems being solved, dark moods lifted, ideas elaborated on, thoughts developed. By moving on foot through a place, we undoubtedly come to know that place more intimately. But under the right conditions, free from the constant distractions of home, work, and social interaction, we may also come to know ourselves and our thoughts better.

The English word “discourse” is often used to describe the process of reasoning or logical development, however its Latin root, discurrere, literally means “to run about.” The concept of physical movement or progress giving rise to thought, contemplation, or intellectual development is also reflected elsewhere in common speech, for example, in the use of phrases like “reason through,” “think it over,” or “arrive at a solution.”

As someone who has spent considerable time running, hiking, and walking in the outdoors, I’ve often noticed that I solve more problems and find more inspirations moving about in the outdoors than sitting still at my desk, staring at a computer screen.

Before injuring my Achilles tendon last summer, on many mornings I would enjoy an early run up and down the steep, wooded hills of the Blue Ridge Parkway near my home. Whatever anxieties or concerns I had about the day ahead of me had usually vanished by the end of my six- or seven-mile run. If there was a specific problem or obstacle I was beset by, I would more often than not arrive at an answer or a strategy, if not a complete solution, by the end of the run. On these mornings, my mind was easily soothed by the rustic setting of this daily ritual: the relative absence of automobile traffic and human noise, the sounds of deer rustling through leaves, birdsong emanating from the heights, and hollows of these mostly sylvan surroundings. Even as the route became familiar to me, the daily differences in the subtleties and nuances of light and sound, the changes in temperature, vegetation and wildlife activity were never lost to my attention. On the contrary, they were the energizing catalyst each day for novel thought and inspiration.

travel by foot meaning

In an effort to rehabilitate my injured foot over the summer, and now lacking a regular job commitment, I decided to spend a day each week doing a long hike in the area to compensate both for the lack of physical activity and the lack of time spent in the spectacular natural world of the Blue Ridge, lost to taking a break from running. As June turned to July, I spent many hours wandering nearby trails, particularly sections of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, a thousand-mile trail that stretches through the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina before it doglegs across the state to the Outer Banks and the Atlantic Ocean. Later in the summer, I explored other destinations a little further afield in Virginia, like Rock Castle Gorge or Grayson Highlands and Mount Rogers, Virginia’s highest peak.

Even during the summer months, however, I saw relatively few other hikers on the more remote sections of these trails and was often left to myself to wander for hours, with nothing but my own thoughts and the cadence of my feet on the trail. Sometimes my thoughts would be focused outward, in tune with the majestic beauty of blue-green peaks stretching away along the horizon of the high country; or the wild flowers lining the path at my feet as it stretched across an alpine meadow. Other times my thoughts drew inwards, as I contemplated a writing project in progress or waxed philosophical about the state of the world. Usually though, over the four or five hours it would take me to do a medium-distance hike, my mind and emotions shifted over a range of thoughts and sensations. At the end of each hike, I found myself physically tired, though never too exhausted. More importantly though, something in me, some deeply human need that transcends the spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical domains, was satisfied by this time spent alone with my thoughts, ranging across mountainous landscapes, a day at a time.

As much as these weekly rambles changed me in whatever small degree, I have often wondered what it would be like to spend a whole season or the better part of a year traveling by foot. To through-hike the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, or more ambitiously, the Pacific Crest Trail or the Continental Divide Trail, would surely be an unforgettable and life-changing experience, albeit one that many, myself currently included, are not likely to find the time and resources to accomplish. Fortunately, others who have walked or hiked long distances overland have documented their experiences in what some have called “the literature of the leg.” Though this genre is nothing new, I’ve found myself recently living vicariously through the wanderings of several contemporary author-travelers who have undertaken major journeys on foot.

One such writer is blogger and long-distance hiker Carrot Quinn, who has hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in its entirety twice, as well as the Continental Divide Trail and the Hayduke Trail. Quinn’s book, Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart, compiles her blog entries from her 156-day traversal of the trail in 2013. The trail begins in the desert at the US-Mexico border and ends at the Canadian border, following the mountainous spine of the high desert, the Sierra Nevada, and the Cascades from south to north. Throughout the book, the reader experiences firsthand the trials and travails of a novice long-distance hiker as she crosses the country that is molding and challenging her body through its extremes of weather and terrain while also flooding her senses with light, wind, and heartbreaking natural beauty. Quinn’s emotional state sometimes mirrors the terrain of the 2668-mile trail: snow covered granite peaks of rapture alternate with deserts of despair and flood-choked valleys of uncertainty, followed by the routine “zero” days in a trailside town, recovering from the exhaustion of trail life. By the end of the journey, though, one is left with a shared sense of loss, of not wanting the trail to end. The reader catches more than a glimpse of just how much trail life—the camaraderie of fellow hikers, and the sheer, gorgeous sublimity of hiking through some of America’s most beautiful country—has changed the author.

Similarly, Nick Hunt’s Walking the Woods and the Water details a journey he made, beginning in December 2011 to retrace the footsteps of Patrick Leigh Fermor, a fellow Englishman, who walked from the Hook of Holland to Turkey’s Golden Horn in 1933. While some of this journey crosses urban and suburban lands, especially in its earlier segments, many of the experiences of people and places Hunt documents could only occur on foot—for example, sleeping in the ruins of an ancient castle along the Rhine River in Germany, or bedding down for the night in a shed while a snowstorm rages outside. As Hunt’s book chronicles his own experiences and the personal changes he undergoes in the seven-month journey, he is also comparing his present-day experience of the lands and people he encounters with Fermor’s account of seventy-eight years earlier and registering the changes, for better or worse, as he notices them. As with Carrot Quinn’s book, one can’t help but feel transformed at the end of this immense yet humble journey across not just the enormity of a continent, but through three seasons and dozens of separate cultures and regions and climates.

Jennifer Stitt, in her recent essay on walking, focuses on the moral clarity that resulted from Thoreau’s solitary walks in the wild and the American civil rights movement as well as past and current freedom movements his thought influenced. A solitary and thoughtful walk in nature here culminates with the mass marches and mobilizations that have brought about deep change and lasting social justice in our time. As I have found also, a solitary walk, especially in the wild, can bring inner peace, wonderful moments of intellectual and visionary clarity, and personal transformation as we physically, spiritually, and intellectually connect with the natural world, which supports us and from which we have evolved. From this position, ecological justice is also possible.

Matt Miles  is a writer, poet, permaculturist, maker, and rock climber. His work has previously appeared in  Dark Mountain . He lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina where he and Tasha Greer run the reLuxe Ranch, a whole systems farmstead.

Photos courtesy of  Unsplash

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Globetrotter’s Glossary Of Travel Terms

travel by foot meaning

Wanderlust is a concept that underpins many of the other terms on this list. It is defined as “a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about.”

As Vladimir Nabokov alluded to in his first novel Mary , wanderlust often takes hold in the months leading up to summer: “Nostalgia in reverse, the longing for yet another strange land, grew especially strong in spring.”

A wayfarer is someone who travels, especially on foot.

The term entered English in the mid-1400s as a combination of way meaning “a path or course leading from one place to another,” and fare , a verb meaning “to go; travel.”

Ray-Ban borrowed this poetic-sounding word as the name for their classic model of sunglasses, which took the 1980s by storm thanks in part to Tom Cruise, who famously sported them in the iconic 1980s film Risky Business , and Canadian crooner Corey Hart who invited a generation to consider the merits of sporting shades post-nightfall with his hit single “Sunglasses at Night.”

cosmopolitan

As an adjective, cosmopolitan means “at home all over the world,” and as a noun, “a citizen of the world.”

It can be traced to the philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, who first applied the Greek term kosmos to the order of the universe or world. The Stoics of ancient Greece developed an ideology of cosmopolitanism that broke from assumptions of Greek superiority, emphasizing instead a shared morality among all people.

Surprising as it may be, the Stoics are not responsible for the pink cocktail that gained notoriety during the run of Sex and the City ; this potable sense of cosmopolitan arose a couple millennia later in the mid-1980s.

Sometimes a weekend getaway can satisfy one’s wanderlust, but other times a longer stay or sojourn is in order. This word can function as a noun or a verb, with senses of “a temporary stay” and “to stay for a time in a place; live temporarily,” respectively.

It can be traced to the Latin word subdiurnare , which translates roughly as “to spend the day.”

Today’s definition of traipse emphasizes an easygoing manner of travel: “to walk or go aimlessly or idly or without finding or reaching one’s goal.”

But, over the course of its lifetime, traipse has emphasized elements of untidiness, as in the following definition from Oxford English Dictionary : “to walk with the dress trailing or bedraggled.” An association with gender also shows up in the related word trape , a now-obsolete verb meaning “to walk or run about in an ideal or slatternly manner”; slattern is a pejorative term for a slovenly, untidy woman or girl.

globetrotter

In addition to describing a theatrical basketball player who calls Harlem home, the word globetrotter can refer to a person who travels regularly or frequently to countries all over the world.

A trot is a gait of horses that’s in between a walk and a run. By the mid-1500s, the word trotter was being used to refer to a person who moves about briskly and constantly. Globetrotter emerged in English three centuries later, in the late 1800s, as technologies were evolving on land and on sea that facilitated travel of a more frequent and widespread variety.

peregrinate

This term means “to travel or journey, especially to walk on foot.” It can be traced to the Latin peregrinari meaning “to travel abroad.”

By the time peregrinate entered English in the late 1500s, English speakers were already using its adjectival cousin for a migratory bird renowned for its speed, the peregrine falcon .

If you prefer epicurean adventures over pilgrimages, gallivant may be your travel term of choice. This word means “to wander about, seeking pleasure or diversion.”

Etymologists posit that the term could be a humorous variation of the verb gallant . Both of these verbs carry senses involving flirtation, which adds an element of intrigue to any vacation.

Can you guess the definition?

[ t oo r- tyair ]

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  • travel on foot

verb as in pound the pavement

Weak matches

  • hit the road
  • hit the trail
  • walk the tracks

verb as in traipse

Strongest matches

Strong matches

  • knock about
  • take a walk

verb as in walk

  • perambulate
  • wend one's way

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Related words.

Words related to travel on foot are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word travel on foot . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

verb as in travel far on foot

verb as in move along on foot

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On this page you'll find 102 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to travel on foot, such as: count ties, hit the road, hit the trail, and walk the tracks.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

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Meaning of foot traffic in English

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foot traffic noun [U] ( PEOPLE WALKING )

  • bring/call something/someone to heel idiom
  • constitutional
  • hoof it idiom
  • race walking
  • shanks's pony
  • sleepwalking
  • trekking pole

foot traffic noun [U] ( IN A BUSINESS )

  • anti-consumer
  • late adopter
  • multi-client
  • mystery shopper
  • rag-and-bone man
  • scrap dealer
  • tradespeople

foot traffic | Business English

Examples of foot traffic, translations of foot traffic.

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travel by foot meaning

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  • foot traffic (PEOPLE WALKING)
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Definition of foot

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Definition of foot  (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

transitive verb

  • rock bottom
  • spring (for)

Examples of foot in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Noun and Verb

Middle English fot , from Old English fōt ; akin to Old High German fuot foot, Latin ped-, pes , Greek pod-, pous

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing foot

  • acre - foot
  • calf's - foot jelly
  • bird's - foot trefoil
  • foot - candle
  • foot - pound
  • foot - dragging
  • foot - and - mouth disease
  • fescue foot
  • get / start off on the wrong foot
  • get / start off on the right foot
  • foot - pound - second
  • get one's foot in the door
  • from head to foot / toe
  • foot the bill
  • foot soldier
  • have one foot in the grave
  • hand, foot and mouth disease
  • hand and foot
  • pedestrian / foot traffic
  • not touch (someone or something) with a ten - foot pole
  • put one's best foot forward
  • put one foot in front of the other
  • neat's - foot oil
  • put a foot wrong
  • set foot on
  • put one's foot down
  • put one's foot in it
  • put one's foot in one's mouth
  • wrong - foot
  • wouldn't touch (something) with a 10 - foot pole
  • wait on (someone) hand and foot
  • the shoe is on the other foot
  • the boot is on the other foot
  • single - foot
  • set foot in
  • bird's - foot violet
  • claw - foot
  • foot patrol
  • athlete's foot
  • crow's foot
  • cloven foot
  • fleet of foot
  • foot traffic
  • trench foot
  • foot in the door
  • light - foot
  • shoot oneself in the foot

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Cite this entry.

“Foot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foot. Accessed 15 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of foot.

Kids Definition of foot  (Entry 2 of 2)

Medical Definition

Medical definition of foot, more from merriam-webster on foot.

Nglish: Translation of foot for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of foot for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about foot

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What Does It Mean When Your Right Foot Itches?

Woman scratches her right foot

If your foot is itchy, you might be surprised to know that there may be a symbolic meaning for it. Even if the true culprit is just a bug bite , finding out the superstition behind it can be interesting – and may lend more information into your future than you thought! 

Across the world, cultures have come up with many meanings for an itchy foot , but they vastly differ depending on whether they're referring to the right or left. Luckily, if it's your right foot that's making you scratch, it's all about good omens. 

As Paranormal Authority explains, the left foot is often associated with negativity as several cultures view the right hand and foot as "dominant." In fact, left-handed people were once thought to have "the hand of the devil ." This may explain why so many superstitions related to itchy right feet are positive, while itchy left feet can mean a difficult path. 

It's safe to say that whether your left or right foot is itching, you're in for some serious traveling. 

According to Aunty Flo , foot itching means that a voyage is in the cards for you, which relates back to 1930s folklore. Even today, many still use the saying "itchy feet" for wanting to jet-set across the world, or use the phrase "itching to travel." While a left foot can mean an unenjoyable trip or losses experienced on the journey ranging from money to relationships, an itchy right foot is all about smooth sailing.

Here are all the symbols behind an itchy right foot

Aunty Flo explains that an itchy right foot simply means a forthcoming journey that will likely require planning from your part. This can mean getting your luggage ready, or setting up daily itineraries for your future voyage. If your right sole is itching, it can symbolize that the trip will be financially lucrative (always a win!) so be sure to watch out for any opportunities heading your way.

Far away from voyage-related folklore, Aunty Flo also states that itching at the top of the foot might mean that someone is talking about you, so be wary of that. However, the website maintains that the right foot is most often the "positive foot" and signifies good things will occur. Paranormal Authority echoes that statement, citing that an itchy right foot means a smooth, positive journey, whether it's a spiritual one after trauma, or a plane ride away to another country. The site also talks about itchy right feet meaning good luck, but says you still need to put effort in making that luck happen.

Legends also state that itchy feet in general can mean that your shoes will break soon, symbolize sorrow in your life, or signify that someone is walking over the place you will be buried one day (via Paranormal Authority ). Although there are several superstitions for itchy feet, it's safe to say that scratching your right foot is always a good thing.

IMAGES

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  2. Should you say "on foot" or "by foot"?

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  3. Travel By Foot

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  4. Travelling on Foot

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  5. Traveling on Foot

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  6. Reasons To Walk (More) On Foot

    travel by foot meaning

VIDEO

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  6. पुरुष के पैर में छिपकली का गिरना ।। lizard falling in the foot meaning in hindi #chipkali

COMMENTS

  1. "By foot" vs. "on foot"

    This Ngram does however support GreenRay's contention that 'by foot' (meaning 'to travel by..') is increasing in very recent times, possibly influenced by usages involving vehicles. - John Mack. Nov 28, 2015 at 22:41 @Mari-LouA Prudence and discretion are my new watchwords. It is an excellent question and well worth the bounty.

  2. prepositions

    1 Answer. 'On foot' is the more commonly used expression.This also stems from the fact that 'on' is usually used for actions involving body parts. 'By' is usually used to talk about a means of transport (i.e. train, car, boat, plane, etc). They both have the same meaning, albeit with different grammatical structure.

  3. Should you say "on foot" or "by foot"?

    Because on foot is more commonly used than by foot. The English language has adapted over many centuries, and different rules come and go when it comes to grammar. It is important to recognise when a rule emerges as a matter of style, or a matter of meaning, however. Many grammar rules exist to help clarify what is said.

  4. "Go by foot" vs. "go on foot"

    2. Both expressions convey the meaning, but in my experience and the experience of Google ngram "on foot" is far more common: Click here for Google ngram. "By" tends to be used more for a transport system "by car", "by plane". "On" for body parts "on foot", "on hands and knees" being the only examples I can think of.

  5. 55 Foot / Feet Idioms (Meaning & Examples)

    4. To Have A Foot In Both Camps. Meaning: to support two opposing groups of people. Use In A Sentence: I don't know if I trust Joe's judgment, he has a foot in both camps. 5. To Have/Get A Foot In The Door. Meaning: a chance to do something that oftentimes will lead to more opportunities.

  6. Which is correct: "on foot" or "by foot"?

    Walking is no different - the action takes place on foot. Why you could say by foot; We use by to describe a tool used for movements or actions. You can travel by plane, by boat or by car, for instance. You can send letters by post, and you can write by hand. It stands to reason, then, that you can travel by foot. So which is more correct?

  7. italki

    BY. When talking about general ways to travel, we always use the preposition "by.". We can travel by bike, by motorcycle, by car, by van, by lorry, by truck, by train, by plane, by bus, by ship, by tram, or by boat. We can also use by to refer to the transportation environment (by sea, by land, by air) or the surface area (by rail, by road ...

  8. ON FOOT

    ON FOOT definition: 1. walking: 2. walking: . Learn more.

  9. "by walk" or "by foot" when travelling by walking [duplicate]

    By is a flexible preposition. "By train, plane, and automobile" is almost a stock phrase. A team of rescuers once went By Dogsled for Byrd" to rescue the Admiral from the South Pole.I have no problems with going somewhere on foot or by foot, or by rowboat or kayak or helicopter or wheelbarrow or even by stealth.

  10. On foot

    Definition of on foot in the Idioms Dictionary. on foot phrase. What does on foot expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. ... My car won't work so I have to travel on foot. We go everywhere around the campus on foot. See also: foot, on.

  11. Peregrinate Definition & Meaning

    The meaning of PEREGRINATE is to travel especially on foot : walk. Did you know?

  12. On the Virtues of Traveling by Foot

    The means of traveling on foot—or in some cases, on one's knees—over a long and arduous route are themselves an act of faith that is equally important as reaching the end, whatever that holy site or destination may be. An idea central to the practice of T'ai Chi is rootedness, the strength and grounding of position that occurs when the ...

  13. TRAVEL ON FOOT

    TRAVEL ON FOOT - Synonyms, related words and examples | Cambridge English Thesaurus

  14. Globetrotter's Glossary Of Travel Terms

    This term means "to travel or journey, especially to walk on foot." It can be traced to the Latin peregrinari meaning "to travel abroad." By the time peregrinate entered English in the late 1500s, English speakers were already using its adjectival cousin for a migratory bird renowned for its speed, the peregrine falcon.

  15. travel on foot

    1. Unicef. If the distance to be travelled on foot for a specific journey exceeds the traveller's autonomous walking capacity, the journey will not be able to be transferred to this mode. 2. European Transport Research Review. For much of the route he travelled on foot; sometimes he caught a cab. 3.

  16. Travel by foot definition and meaning

    Travel by foot definition based on common meanings and most popular ways to define words related to travel by foot.

  17. Travel on

    Definition of travel on in the Idioms Dictionary. travel on phrase. What does travel on expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. Travel on - Idioms by The Free Dictionary. ... Our car broke down halfway there, so we had to travel on foot for the rest of the way. 3. To move or journey while carrying some kind of pass or ...

  18. TRAVEL ON FOOT in Thesaurus: 100+ Synonyms & Antonyms for TRAVEL ON FOOT

    What's the definition of Travel on foot in thesaurus? Most related words/phrases with sentence examples define Travel on foot meaning and usage. ... Related terms for travel on foot- synonyms, antonyms and sentences with travel on foot. Lists. synonyms. antonyms. definitions. sentences. thesaurus. Parts of speech. verbs. Synonyms Similar ...

  19. 97 Synonyms & Antonyms for travel on foot

    Find 97 different ways to say travel on foot, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.

  20. FOOT TRAFFIC

    FOOT TRAFFIC definition: 1. people who are walking, not driving cars or riding bicycles: 2. the number of people who go…. Learn more.

  21. Travel

    To travel is the act of going from one place to another, usually a considerable distance. Your daily commute in the morning doesn't generally count as travel. ... move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time. consort, run. keep company. backpedal. step backwards, in boxing. pace. walk with slow or fast paces ...

  22. Foot Definition & Meaning

    foot: [noun] the terminal part of the vertebrate (see 1vertebrate) leg upon which an individual stands.

  23. What Does It Mean When Your Right Foot Itches?

    Here are all the symbols behind an itchy right foot. Aunty Flo explains that an itchy right foot simply means a forthcoming journey that will likely require planning from your part. This can mean getting your luggage ready, or setting up daily itineraries for your future voyage. If your right sole is itching, it can symbolize that the trip will ...