cold feet

noun

Etymology: Idiomatic sense possibly from a calque of German kalte Füße bekommen (“to get cold feet”), or of Lombard avegh minga frecc i pee (“to have no money”, literally “to be cold in the feet”) (Italian aver freddo ai piedi), said by a person who wishes to stop gambling, allegedly because the person now has cold feet due to being too poor to afford proper footwear.

1. A feeling of nervousness or anxiety causing one to reconsider a decision about an upcoming event.

   “The groom got cold feet before his wedding.”

   “The sale was almost agreed, but now the prospective purchasers seem to be suffering from a bad case of cold feet.”

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see cold, feet.