Dictionary

get one's foot in the door en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Probably from a practice attributed to door-to-door salesmen of placing a foot in the opening of a prospective customer's door, thereby preventing the person from closing the door until the conclusion of the sales pitch.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) To initiate contact or a relationship; to gain access, especially to an entry-level job.
   • Guinier recognizes the need for minorities to get their feet in the door, but argues that "insiders" must be authentic representatives in order for minorities to achive real political power. 1994 October, Binny Miller, “Disarming Hostile Majorities: A Queer Reading of Lani Guinier on Voting Rights”, in Gay Community News, page 10:
   • But despite his academic credentials, Julian had to fight just to get his foot in the door at most laboratories. 2007 February 4, Sara Boyd, “A Formula for Greatness”, in Washington Post, retrieved 10 Jun 2009, page Y14:
   • And the legislature had better study Texas, before it commits this state to parimutuel betting, thus letting the professional gambler get his foot in the door. 1935 February 19, “When You Let the Gamblers In”, in Milwaukee Journal, retrieved 10 Jun 2009, page 8:
   • He was able to gain employment as a cleaner relatively quickly. It was a 'foot in the door', but it wouldn't appease his ambition for long and he later qualified as a 'passed cleaner' (a fireman in all but name), based at King's Cross and St Pancras. 2021 December 29, Tom Allett, “How Wilston Jackson made railway history”, in RAIL, number 947, page 52:

Forms

Relateds

foot-in-the-door technique · have one's foot in the door · have a foot in the door

Synonyms

put one's foot in the door

Translations (5)

fi saada jalka oven väliin (Translations) · pl ustawiać się (Translations) · pl ustawić się (Translations) · es meter el pie en la puerta (Translations) · da få foden indenfor (Translations)