Elementary Everyday life Idiom

Встать не с той ноги

Vstat ne s toy nogi

Word-for-word

"To get up not with the right foot"

English equivalent

"To get out of bed on the wrong side"

What does it mean?

To wake up in a bad mood; to have a bad start to the day.

Example in use

Russian

Я сегодня встал не с той ноги.

Translation

I got out of bed on the wrong side today.

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When to use

Use this to explain why you are grumpy or having a string of bad luck throughout the day.

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Origin & cultural note

Ancient superstition suggested that the left foot was associated with misfortune. Therefore, stepping out of bed with your left foot first was thought to set a bad tone for the rest of the day.

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