walk the floor
English
Pronunciation
Audio (AU) (file)
Verb
walk the floor (third-person singular simple present walks the floor, present participle walking the floor, simple past and past participle walked the floor)
- (idiomatic) To pace back and forth restlessly, because of worry, excitement, distress, etc.
- 1875, T. S. Arthur, Danger; or, Wounded in the House of a Friend, ch. 3:
- "How wildly you talk, Margaret!" exclaimed Mr. Birtwell, with increased irritation. . . . Mr. Birtwell started to his feet and walked the floor with considerable excitement.
- 1913, Kathleen Norris, "Rising Water" in Poor Dear Margaret Kirby and other Stories:
- "Oh—this is terrible!" she broke out frantically—and she began to walk the floor.
- 1941, Ernest Tubb, "Walking the Floor Over You" (song):
- You left me and you went away
- . . .
- I'm walking the floor over you
- I can't sleep a wink that is true
- I'm hoping and I'm praying as my heart breaks right in two
- Walking the floor over you
- 1998, Linda O. McMurry, To Keep the Waters Troubled, →ISBN, ch. 1 (excerpt at nytimes.com):
- Ida . . . remembered the "anxious way my mother walked the floor at night when my father was out to a political meeting."
- 2015, Brenda Novak, chapter 7, in Whiskey Creek Series Volume One, →ISBN:
- If Kyle felt half as torn about his upcoming marriage as Brandon suspected, he might walk the floor all night.
- 1875, T. S. Arthur, Danger; or, Wounded in the House of a Friend, ch. 3:
Further reading
- walk the floor at OneLook Dictionary Search