<Li> Loss or lack of courage or confidence . </Li> <Li> Timidity that prevents the continuation of a course of action . </Li> <P> 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 . Crane writes, "I knew this was the way it would be . They got cold feet ." The term is present in "Seed Time and Harvest" by Fritz Reuter published in 1862 . 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 . The true origin and first usage of the phrase remains debated and unconfirmed as exemplified above . </P> <P> A common use of the phrase is when people fear the commitment of marriage and get "cold feet" before a wedding ceremony . This pre-marital doubt or fear may manifest for a variety of reasons and sometimes cause the bride or groom to back out of a planned marriage . Original research on the "cold feet" phenomenon is very limited, but a four - year study conducted by UCLA researchers found feelings of pre-marital doubt or uncertainty about an impending marriage were associated with future marital problems and a viable predictor of divorce . </P>

Where did the expression getting cold feet come from
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