Cold feet is a phrase that refers to a person not going through with an action, particularly one which requires long term commitment, due to fear, uncertainty, and doubt.
The origin of the term itself has been largely attributed to American author Stephen Crane, who added the phrase, in 1896, to the second edition of his short novel, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets.
[8][9][10] Kenneth McKenzie, a former professor of Italian at Princeton University attributed the first use of the phrase to the play Volpone produced by Ben Jonson in 1605.
A common use of the phrase is when people fear the commitment of marriage and get "cold feet" before a wedding ceremony.
[11][12] This premarital doubt or fear may manifest for a variety of reasons and sometimes cause the bride or groom to back out of a planned marriage.