feet of clay
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Related to feet of clay: led by the nose
feet of clay
A weakness or failing in someone. The phrase originated in the Bible. I know it's hard to believe, but anyone you admire surely has feet of clay.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
feet of clay
A failing or weakness in a person's character, as in The media are always looking for a popular idol's feet of clay. This expression comes from the Bible (Daniel 2:31-33), where the prophet interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a statue with a head of gold and feet of iron clay. [c. 1600]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
feet of ˈclay
a surprising fault or weakness in the character of somebody who is admired and respected: Why are people always surprised when they discover that their heroes have feet of clay?This idiom comes from a story in the Bible, where the king of Babylon saw an image with a head of gold and feet of clay.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
feet of clay
An underlying weakness or fault: "They discovered to their vast discomfiture that their idol had feet of clay, after placing him upon a pedestal" (James Joyce).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
feet of clay
A flaw or vulnerability of someone who is otherwise admirable. In the Bible's Book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed that he saw a statue made of gold, silver, and brass, but with feet of clay. Daniel interpreted the vision to mean that the clay symbolized the Babylonian Empire's vulnerability and imminent collapse. (See Achilles' heel.)
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price Copyright © 2011 by Steven D. Price