Cloven Foot
Preserved but no longer current.
To show the cloven foot, i.e. to show a knavish intention; a base motive. The allusion is to Satan, represented with the legs and feet of a goat; and, however he might disguise himself, he could never conceal his cloven feet. See BAG o' NAILS; CLOOTIE.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Cloven Foot” mean?
To show the cloven foot, i.e. to show a knavish intention; a base motive. The allusion is to Satan, represented with the legs and feet of a goat; and, however he might disguise himself, he could never conceal his cloven feet. See BAG o' NAILS; CLOOTIE.
Is “Cloven Foot” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.