what's does tenderfoot stand for?

[John Fenna]

What do I get called when I get to 4000 posts.....? ?

 

[Shewie]

What do I get called when I get to 4000 posts.....? ?

Don`t tempt us John

 

[HillBill]

What do I get called when I get to 4000 posts.....? ?

Persistently enthusiastic

 

[stonyman]

I don't mind being a Tenderfoot, it makes me sound cool.

 

[Minotaur]

I was under the impression that the expression 'tenderfoot' came from outdoors men who adopted the moccasins of the native americans as footware. Those new to this would get very tender feet until they had worn them for a while and their feet had toughened up. Hence the name for newbies, greenhorns or whatever other name you might choose for someone new to something.

That said, I've just had a quick google to find a link and the first thing I found suggested the expression came from the gold rush era where people new to wearing cowboy boots suffered from similarly sore feet.

So it could just be one of those phrases that crop up. I always thought it was Native American, but it could have come from the Army as well.

 

[Squidders]

Tenderfoot is used when someone stamps on your toe... this is explained best using the anagram Trod on feet.