footsie

footsie(s)

The act of touching or rubbing someone else's foot or ankle with one's own under a table, typically to show sexual interest in that person. Becky must like you if she was playing footsies with you all night at dinner.

play footsie(s) (with someone)

1. To rub someone's foot or feet with one's own, usually in secret beneath a table as a means of flirting or indicating romantic or sexual interest. My friend's sister started playing footsie with me during dinner. I had no idea she was into me! Are you two playing footsies?
2. By extension, to become secretly involved with someone; to offer clandestine cooperation with someone to gain their favor. It's been revealed that the senator has been playing footsie with major corporations to bypass federal regulations and bureaucratic red tape.
See also: play
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

play footsie with someone

 
1. to get romantically or sexually involved with someone. (Refers literally to secretly pushing or rubbing feet with someone under the table.) Someone said that Ruth is playing footsie with Henry. Henry and Ruth are playing footsie with each other.
2. to get involved in a scheme with someone; to cooperate with someone. The guy who runs the butcher shop was playing footsie with the city meat inspector. Henry was playing footsie with the mayor in order to get the contract.
See also: footsie, play
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

play footsie

1. Behave coyly, flirt with, especially secretly. For example, Get to the point, there's no need to play footsie with us. This expression alludes to two persons surreptitiously rubbing each other's feet together. [1940s]
2. Cooperate or curry favor with in a sly or secret way, as in The mayor's been playing footsie with various neighborhood councils. [Mid-1900s]
See also: footsie, play
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

play footsie

1. If someone plays footsie, they touch or rub someone else's foot under a table as a sign of sexual interest. These couples drink lots of Chianti, share a dessert, play footsie and tip quite well.
2. If someone plays footsie with a person or organization, they show that they like them or are interested in them in an indirect and often insincere way. The singer has been playing footsie with all the major record labels. He was still playing footsie with the Prime Minister in order to get back in the Cabinet.
See also: footsie, play
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

play footsie with someone

1 touch someone's feet lightly with your own feet, usually under a table, as a playful expression of romantic interest. 2 work with someone in a cosy and covert way.
See also: footsie, play, someone
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

play ˈfootsie (with somebody)

touch somebody’s feet lightly with your own feet, especially under a table, as an expression of affection or sexual interest
See also: footsie, play
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

play footsie

1. To flirt with someone by secretly touching the feet with one's own.
2. To cooperate or curry favor in a sly or devious way.
See also: footsie, play
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
See also:
  • footsie(s)
  • footsy
  • on (one's) coattails
  • on somebody's coat-tails
  • on someone's coattails
  • on someone's coat-tails
  • empathize
  • empathize with
  • empathize with (someone or something)
  • noogie
References in periodicals archive
The biggest Footsie fallers were Fresnillo down 66p at 1492p, Anglo American off 110p at 3300p, Antofagasta down 37p at 1502p and Inmarsat off 15.5p at 638.5p.
CITY MARKET REPORT
The Footsie reached sevenyear highs above 6,700 last June but tumbled to depths not seen since October 2005 at its lowest point today.
Topsy-turvy for traders; MARKETS: Bargain-hunters push Footsie into black
But fears the Footsie could breach 3000 within the week were turned on their head with a recovery that stunned the City.
Impressive recovery in a year dominated by Iraq
Alex Scott at 7 Investment Management is forecasting 5,800 for the Footsie.
Better year ahead for Footsie
The biggest Footsie risers were Cairn Energy ahead 30.1p at 408.9p, Legal &General up 3.8p at 85.1p, Eurasian Natural Resources up 44p at 1194p and Petrofac up 42p at 1228p.
A spring in FTSE's step but retailers left trailing; citybulletin
The Footsie's four biggest risers were HBOS, up 25.7p to 148.1p, Lloyds TSB up 23.5p to 250p, Standard Life up 17p to 257p, and Eurasian Natural Resources which closed up 23p to 528p.
PM's backing lifts shares in Halifax Bank of Scotland; SHARE PRICES MARKET REPORT
The fall continued Friday's trend, when the Footsie closed down 33.9 points, while the Dow Jones ended the week up only marginally.
MARKET REPORT
A strong session in the US yesterday bolstered spirits late on in London where the Footsie closed up 143.3 points.
Shares are in upbeat mood
The biggest Footsie risers were Imperial Tobacco, ahead 106p to 1900p, Arm Holdings, up 24p to 571.5p, Lonmin, up 69p to 1768p and Rio Tinto, up 163.5p, to 4507.5p.
London market
The Footsie followed its 2% fall with a further 1.6% decline yesterday, losing 85.7 points to 5335.1, as traders also fretted over a bigger than expected rise in initial US jobless claims.
city marketreport
Fears over a US recession meant the Footsie endured a turbulent January - culminating in the "Blue Monday" collapse, which saw its biggest one-day fall for more than six years.
UK plc signs of poor health now mount almost daily; MARKETS
Housebuilders also joined the party with Persimmon up 71.5p to 770p and Taylor Wimpey reviving 19.5p to 183.3 despite the stock's impending relegation from the Footsie this week.
Footsie puts turmoil to one side and rallies; SHARE PRICES MARKET REPORT
The Footsie had surged 30 points in the first minute of trading after investors cheered the first positive session for the Dow Jones Industrial Average in five days and a number of upbeat corporate results.
City news
By 9am, the Footsie was down 29.8 points at 4873.6 as the market's record of five successive sessions on the up appeared in jeopardy.
Oil heads fallers as shares feel the pinch
Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland were among the heaviest fallers on the Footsie after a speech by the chairman of the Independent Banking Commission sparked fears over plans to overhaul the industry.
London market