Think on one's feet meaning in English
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Definition
Susie is able to think on her feet: Susie can improvise, react quickly to situations
Examples
- "I have ten years experience in the customer service field, as well as management experience in a local telemarketing firm. The challenging environments in which I've worked have taught me to think on my feet, communicate clearly and always remain polite and professional while dealing with callers."
- "I have ten years' experience in the customer service field, as well as management experience in a local telemarketing firm. The challenging environments in which I've worked have taught me to think on my feet, communicate clearly and always remain polite and professional while dealing with callers."
Exercise 1
Someone who "thinks on their feet" .
Someone who "thinks on their feet" quickly adapts to any situation.
quickly adapts to any situation: "To think on one's feet" indicates that one is able to deal with situations and problems which are unexpected. A person with this ability is able to adapt easily to a variety of situations. Example: Air traffic controllers must be good at thinking on their feet.
is extremely confident: Being confident and "thinking on one's feet" express very different meanings.
stays alert for long periods of time: To "stay alert for long periods of time" is to "remain attentive or awake" for long periods of time. This ability is different than "thinking on one's feet", which means to think quickly.
is in good physical shape: Being in good physical shape and "thinking on one's feet" express very different meanings.
is very pragmatic: Being pragmatic is often described using the idiom "to have one's feet on the ground". This expression is different than the one Trey uses in his cover letter 'to think on one's feet.
Exercise 2
Someone who thinks on their feet:
Someone who thinks on their feet:
Being in good physical shape and "thinking on one's feet" express different meanings. To be "in good physical shape" is to be "healthy", "sporty", or "fit".
To "stay alert for long periods of time" is to "remain attentive or awake" for long periods of time. This ability is different from "thinking on one's feet", which means to think quickly.
Being confident and "thinking on one's feet" express different meanings. To be "confident" is to be "self-assured", or to have a strong belief in one's own abilities or talents.
"To think on one's feet" is to be able to deal with situations and problems which are unexpected. A person with this ability can adapt easily to a variety of situations. Example: Air traffic controllers must be good at thinking on their feet.
Exercise 3
Susan is "capable of putting the right spin on the situation".
This means that:
This means that:
Susan is "capable of putting the right spin on the situation".
This means that:
This means that:
This is not what Bruno is expressing in this sentence. "Thinking on one's feet" is an idiom which indicates that someone is capable of thinking quickly, or improvising. It is unrelated to "spin".
The term "spin" is sometimes used in English to describe the manner in which a story is told. To "put the right spin on a story" expresses that the story will be told (or even manipulated) in a way which favors one perspective over another. In the context of Bruno's email, he is telling Harold that Susan knows the best way of explaining Warbuckle's story in a way which favors Delavigne and Warbuckle.
This is not what Bruno's line expresses. He is actually telling Warbuckle that Susan Bliss is talented at "turning" or "spinning" a story in a particular way, not that she gives good advice.
"To get the ball rolling" is an expression which means to "initiate" something, or get something started. For example, we could say "Susan why don't you get the ball rolling on these negotiations". It is unrelated to "spin" in this context.
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