典出《圣經(jīng)·舊約·但以理書(shū)》第 2 章。巴比倫國(guó)王尼布甲尼撒(Nebuchadnezzar)夢(mèng)到一泥足巨人,頭是金的,胸臂是銀的,腹股是銅的,被飛來(lái)的一塊巨石砸碎了腳,整個(gè)巨人頓時(shí)瓦解。希伯來(lái)先知但以理釋夢(mèng)稱這預(yù)示著國(guó)家要分裂?,F(xiàn)多用來(lái)指"偉人不為人知的弱點(diǎn)或致命的弱點(diǎn)"。
Eg.When the coach was arrested for drunken driving, the students realized that their hero had feet of clay.
當(dāng)教練酒后駕駛被拘留,學(xué)生們才意識(shí)到他們心目中的英雄也有致命的弱點(diǎn)。