Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop – Meaning, Origin and Usage

If you’re a native English speaker, there’s a very good chance that you’ve heard the phrase ‘Waiting for the shoe to drop’, but there’s a new phrase doing the rounds ‘Waiting for the other shoe to drop’.

And if you’re not 100% sure what it means and where the phrase comes from, you’ve come to just the right place – I’m going to unpack everything. I’ll even include several example conversations where the phrase could be used, and for good measure, I’ll also give you some alternative phrases you can use instead.

Let’s get going!

What is the Meaning of the phrase ‘Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop’?

The phrase ‘waiting for the other shoe to drop’ means waiting for an inevitable negative event to occur following a preceding negative event. Or in other words, waiting for the ‘part two’ of a two-part scenario.

This is in contrast to the British phrase ‘Waiting for the penny to drop’, which means waiting for someone to realise something in the light of new information. Or it can also refer to waiting for someone to get the but of a joke.

What is the Origin of the phrase ‘Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop’?

The phrase ‘Waiting for the other shoe to drop’ is potentially derived from the US in the late 1890s and early 1900s. It is thought to have started in boarding houses in places like Chicago and New York, where many residents lived in multi-floor apartment buildings with thin walls to separate the tenants.

In these circumstances, when one tenant arrives home and takes off their shoes, dropping them on the floor, the sounds can be easily heard in the floor below, especially when it’s the likes of heavy work safety boots being taken off.

And of course, once one shoe has dropped onto the ceiling of the apartment directly below, the tenant underneath would be found ‘waiting for the other shoe to drop’.

However, after the first shoe, the tenant above may be acutely aware of the loud noise they had just made, and then decide to put the other shoe down softly. In this instance, the tenant below may be waiting to hear another thud that doesn’t actually come along.

And this is the story of how the phrase ‘waiting for the other shoe to drop’ came to refer to waiting for a negative thing to happen or being said after the occurrence of an initial negative event.

Over time, the phrase ‘waiting for the other shoe to drop ‘ came to be used in other English speaking countries, such as in the UK.

How do you use the phrase ‘Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop’?

Here follows some examples of the phrase in use:

‘They laid off an entire department at work today. I really don’t see how the business model is going to work without them. I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.’

‘The power steering went out on the weekend. This car is such a shambles, I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop now.’

‘They had a massive fight last night and she packed her bags to move in with her mom. We’re all waiting for the other shoe to drop now and she decides to file for a divorce.’

‘OK, I’m ready, you can drop the other shoe now.’

‘OK, I don’t think I’m going to like what’s coming next, but don’t keep me waiting for the other shoe to drop.’

What are some other ways of saying ‘Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop’? 

In case the person you’re speaking with isn’t familiar with the phrase ‘waiting for the other shoe to drop’, here are some alternative phrases you can use instead:

• ‘’I’m just waiting for the inevitable now’
• ‘I’m waiting for the rest of the bad news now.’
• ‘He/she/they is/are waiting for the inevitable’
• ‘He/she/they is/are just waiting for the rest of the bad news now.
• ‘Well, more bad news to come I imagine’
• ‘Don’t say anymore, I don’t want to hear it, I can guess what’s coming next.’

Final Thoughts

So, to sum up, the phrase ‘waiting for the other shoe to drop’ means waiting for something negative and inevitable to happen next, following the preceding one. The phrase originated from tenants waiting for a second shoe to drop onto their ceiling following an initial one.

While the phrase may have originated in the US, it has since come over to the UK and other English speaking countries. Be careful not to confuse the phrase with ‘waiting for the penny to drop’ which refers to something completely different, as mentioned earlier.