footsie

[ foot-see ]

noun

, Informal.

1. Sometimes footsies. the act of flirting or sharing a surreptitious intimacy.

Footsie

¹

/ ˈfʊtsɪ /

noun

1. an informal name for Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index

footsie

²

/ ˈfʊtsɪ /

noun

1. informal.
   flirtation involving the touching together of feet, knees, etc (esp in the phrase play footsie )

Word History and Origins

Origin of footsie¹

First recorded in 1930–35; foot + -sie, spelling variant of -sy

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. play footsie / footsies with, Informal.
   1. to flirt with, especially by clandestinely touching someone's foot or leg; be slyly or furtively intimate with.
   2. to seek advantage from, especially by discreet or stealthy means; curry favor with.

Example Sentences

Now, Bolduc’s main opponent, state Senate President Chuck Morse, has also been dancing around the issue, but it looks like Bolduc’s game of footsie with election denialism will win the day.

From FiveThirtyEight

The first-time candidate comes across as a down-to-earth suburban dad, and he’s forged a coalition of Forever Trumpers and Never Trumpers by avoiding too much substance and playing footsie with the “big lie”.

From Washington Post

A sign that the Gulf States and/or Turkey told the White House they were getting out if the footsie continued?

From The Daily Beast

The Federal Reserve, which was just caught playing footsie with Goldman Sachs, is as shadowy as it is powerful.

From The Daily Beast

A century ago, or more, it was the Democratic Party that was playing footsie with the Ku Klux Klan.

From The Daily Beast

For now, Lieberman seems most comfortable playing footsie with the Democrats.

From The Daily Beast

This weekend, Sarah Palin again played footsie with a 2012 presidential run.

From The Daily Beast

He was evidently not going to play footsie with, or show any favoritism whatever toward, any woman aboard the ship.

From Project Gutenberg

If you think you can make your bed by playing footsie with an old fud who has only a year to go, try it.

From Project Gutenberg

D'you think I'd even try to play footsie with Barbara Warner?

From Project Gutenberg