start off on the wrong foot

start off on the wrong foot

To have a bad start. Said of something that goes or has gone awry at the very beginning. I know we started off on the wrong foot when I was a half hour late to the interview, but I promise that I will always be on time once I start working here.

See also: foot, off, on, start, wrong

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

start off on the wrong foot

 and step off on the wrong foot

Fig. to begin things incorrectly. (As if one were beginning to march and began on the right rather than the left foot.) Give me some advice. I don't want to start off on the wrong foot. Tim stepped off on the wrong foot in his new job.

See also: foot, off, on, start, wrong

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

get/start off on the right/wrong ˈfoot (with somebody)

(informal) start a relationship well/badly: I seem to have got off on the wrong foot with the new boss.

See also: foot, get, off, on, right, start, wrong

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017