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wait for the other shoe to drop

 - 2 dictionary results
shoe   (shōō)   
n.  
  1. A durable covering for the human foot, made of leather or similar material with a rigid sole and heel, usually extending no higher than the ankle.

  2. A horseshoe.

  3. A part or device that is located at the base of something or that functions as a protective covering, as:

    1. A strip of metal fitted onto the bottom of a sled runner.

    2. The base for the supports of the superstructure of a bridge.

    3. The ferrule on the end of a cane.

    4. The casing of a pneumatic tire.

    5. Position; status: You would understand my decision if you put yourself in my shoes.

    6. Plight: I wouldn't want to be in her shoes.

  4. A device that retards or stops the motion of an object, as the part of a brake that presses against the wheel or drum.

  5. The sliding contact plate on an electric train or streetcar that conducts electricity from the third rail.

  6. A chute, as for conveying grain from a hopper.

  7. Games A case from which playing cards are dealt one at a time.

  8. shoes Informal

    1. Position; status: You would understand my decision if you put yourself in my shoes.

    2. Plight: I wouldn't want to be in her shoes.

tr.v.   shod (shŏd), shod or shod·den (shŏd'n), shoe·ing, shoes
  1. To furnish or fit with a shoe or shoes.

  2. To cover with a wooden or metal guard to protect against wear.


[Middle English, from Old English scōh.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Idioms & Phrases

wait for the other shoe to drop

Await a seemingly inevitable event, as in Now that she has a good enough job to leave her husband, we're just waiting for the other shoe to drop. This expression alludes to a person awakened by a neighbor who loudly dropped one shoe on the floor and is waiting for the second shoe to be dropped. [Early 1900s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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