It means waiting for something bad to happen which you are expecting. It comes from a famous music hall joke about a man who is woken by the drunk upstairs dropping his shoe. He can't get back to sleep because he is waiting for the second crash on the ceiling. Eventually he shouts upstairs "For Heavens sake, drop the other shoe!"
The basic expression came from apartment living. A person living in an apartment underneath another apartment would hear a person take off a shoe and drop it on the floor and then wait for the other shoe to drop. Then the thump of the other shoe would occur. Then the person in the bottom apartment could continue reading or whatever without interruption. However, it became a useful expression if two irritating events frequently occur together. If someone says, "Why didn't you get back to work?" Rather than say, "Any time that guy comes down the hall pushing that noisy cart that goes clang, clang, clang, with that horrible sound, and disturbs everyone, a second one comes right afterward with its own irritating racket," you can say, "I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop."
It goes back to the days when wooden buildings had thin ceilings and you could near nearly everything that happened upstairs. When someone took off a shoe and dropped it on the floor, it made a clunk which might startle you -- especially if you were trying to sleep. Then you had to wait for the other shoe to drop.
It has come to mean waiting for what comes next, if it seems pretty inevitable.
The expression comes from the sound of someone taking off his shoes in the room above you. They take the first shoe off and BOOM it hits the floor, and then . . . Basically you are left waiting, expecting a second BOOM when the second shoe hits the floor.
Metaphorically, it applies to any series of events which is not complete until the last part of the sequence has taken place. If there is an unexpected hesitation before the last step in the sequence, those people waiting for the whole series to be done are "waiting for the other shoe to drop."
If someone tries to respond prematurely to such a sequence, another might tell him to "wait until the other shoe drops".
You're at a meeting with the boss and your co-workers John, Ernie and Francine. The boss has the results of your performance assessments. He tells you you've done well. He tells John he's done well. He tells Francine she's done well. And . . .
Now is not the time to interrupt him. Wait for the other shoe to drop.
Greece
The word 'shoe' is both a noun (shoe, shoes) and a verb (shoe, shoes, shoeing, shod or shodden).Examples:I found one shoe but I can't find the other. (noun)There's a local blacksmith who can shoe the horse. (verb)
Yes, the word 'shoe' is both a verb and a noun.The noun 'shoe' is a word for a covering for the foot, a word for a thing.Example uses:I found one shoe but I can't find the other. (noun)I've called the farrier to shoe the horse. (verb)
Yes
Shoe is singular, shoes for plural.
Greece
pick it up!
Moederkoek
The list of locations for the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe drop-off can be found in the Environment section of Nikebiz.com. If the drop-off locations will not work for you, shoes can be sent to the following address: Nike Recycling Center c/o Reuse-A-Shoe 26755 SW 95th Wilsonville, OR 97070
The origin of the mukluk is stated to be from the Eskimo people.
Feelings
The origin of shoo in is a horse that goes so fast you don't have to force the horse to travel faster by stronger means.
one is a shoe that goes on your foot the other is a horse shoe on the fireplace
Pegasus shoes are amazing. They have traces of real pegasus fur embedded in them. This makes them a superior shoe for working out in compared to any other shoe in the world. Once you have tried this shoe, no other shoe will do.
The meaning of "shoe on a windowsill" can vary depending on context and interpretation. It could symbolize a sense of longing or waitingโsuch as waiting for someone to returnโor it could represent an unconventional or unexpected sight that draws attention. In literature and art, it may be used to evoke a specific mood or convey a deeper metaphorical meaning.
It's shoe - "The shoe is on the other foot."
Lands' End is a great brand for shoes, if you don't mind waiting for them to be shipped to you.