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Processed with VS1Tell the difference between relaxing after hard work, waiting, resisting change, and describing someone harshly.
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Source: VOA Learning English · Words and Their Stories
View original article & transcriptTo “kick up your heels” is to enjoy yourself, often after a busy stretch. To “cool your heels” is to wait, sometimes unwillingly. Someone who “digs in their heels” resists changing a position; a person “at your heels” follows closely, while one event “on the heels of” another happens soon afterward. “Well-heeled” is a separate expression for being wealthy. The source also uses “a heel” as an insult, which this lesson treats as harsh rather than as a casual label.
Cultural note: “A heel” is a negative label for an untrustworthy or unpleasant person; describe the specific behavior instead when giving feedback. “Dig in your heels” can criticize someone as stubborn, but disagreement may have a good reason. The story’s proposed origins for several expressions are uncertain and are not presented here as settled history.
Keep exploringThe same body-part word can signal a celebration, a delay, resistance, or an unkind judgment.
Phrase guide · 6 expressions
Original explanations and examples, created for learners. Save a card for later or hear the phrase spoken by your browser.
Contrast enjoyment after effort with being kept waiting.
Meaning
Relax and enjoy yourself, often after a period of work or effort.
Tone & use
Informal and cheerful. It does not have to mean dancing; the activity can be any enjoyable break.
Example
“Once the final exams were over, the roommates kicked up their heels with a picnic in the park.”
Meaning
Wait, especially when you would prefer to leave or move ahead.
Tone & use
Casual and sometimes impatient or dismissive when said as a command. “Please wait” is more neutral.
Example
“We had to cool our heels in the lobby while the technician finished checking the room.”
Describe holding to a position or someone following close behind.
Meaning
Refuse to change your position or decision.
Tone & use
Often critical, but a person may have sound reasons for holding firm. Explain the disagreement rather than assuming stubbornness.
Example
“The tenants dug in their heels and asked the landlord to repair the heating before signing a renewal.”
Meaning
Follow very closely behind them.
Tone & use
Can be literal or figurative and may suggest pressure if the following is unwelcome.
Example
“The younger hikers stayed at the guide’s heels along the narrow trail.”
Recognize an old-fashioned wealth phrase and a timing expression.
Meaning
Soon after something else happens.
Tone & use
Neutral and common in news or storytelling; it indicates sequence, not necessarily cause.
Example
“The school announced new bus routes on the heels of a community survey.”
Meaning
Wealthy or financially comfortable.
Tone & use
Somewhat old-fashioned; often describes people, customers, or neighborhoods. It can sound class-conscious.
Example
“The gallery’s opening attracted a well-heeled crowd, but admission was free to everyone.”
Knowledge check
Choose the expression that best fits each situation.
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