stehenden Fußes

German

Etymology

Calque of Medieval Latin stante pede (literally “with one’s foot standing still”), a medieval juridical term meaning "on the spot, without having left the court". The translation (18th century) uses an adverbial genitive, a construction that in contemporary German occurs but in a few fixed expressions. Cognate with Dutch op staande voet and Danish på stående fod.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

stehenden Fußes

1. (literary, otherwise humorous) on the spot

   Synonyms: auf der Stelle; stante pede, stantepe

   Als mir das Bild zum Kauf angeboten wurde, kaufte ich es stehenden Fußes.

   When I was offered to buy the painting, I bought it on the spot.