Footloose and Fancy Free

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Text on Button FOOTLOOSE FANCY FREE
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Footloose and fancy-free is an English idiom that means not attached to anyone and being free from heavy responsibilities or messy ties of a romance gone sour. According to Merriam-Webster, fancy-free dates to 1590 and it meant being free from romantic attachment. Footloose first known use came in 1650 meaning a person without ties and free to move. In the 1800s, the idiom footloose and fancy free into one expression.  

The idiom has evolved over time to become a ubiquitous expression. It's the title of several songs, as well as a Rod Stewart album from 1977. Footloose, a popular movie from 1984 starring teenager Kevin Bacon, is about a teen who moves to a town where dancing is prohibited. Nevertheless, he and other teenagers fight to dance and set their feet free.  

Sources

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Footloose. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/footloose 

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Fancy-free. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fancy-free 

Smith, A. (February 04, 2023). Words and Their Stories. Footloose and Fancy-Free. VOA Learning English. Retrieved from https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/footloose-and-fancy-free/6942202.html 

Catalog ID IB0872