footsie

American  

[foot-see] / ˈfʊt si /

Also footsy,

noun

Informal.

1. Sometimes footsies. the act of flirting or sharing a surreptitious intimacy.

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idioms

1. play footsie / footsies with,

   1. to flirt with, especially by clandestinely touching someone's foot or leg; be slyly or furtively intimate with.

   2. to seek advantage from, especially by discreet or stealthy means; curry favor with.

Footsie ¹ British  

/ ˈfʊtsɪ /

noun

1. an informal name for Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index

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footsie ² British  

/ ˈfʊtsɪ /

noun

1. informal flirtation involving the touching together of feet, knees, etc (esp in the phrase play footsie )

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Etymology

Origin of footsie

First recorded in 1930–35; foot + -sie, spelling variant of -sy

Example Sentences

At this point, we’re only playing debasement footsie.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

Anyway, in the filing, Musk says he doesn’t want to play footsie with Twitter.

From The Verge • Apr. 14, 2022

Or are their feet resting on different parts of the same table leg—which, by the transitive furniture property of male bonding, would still constitute a variety of footsie?

From Slate • Feb. 22, 2021

“They’re not going to play footsie with it or shade anything.”

From Washington Post • Oct. 2, 2018

Nancy knew everyone from school—except a little girl running around in footsie pajamas.

From "Sleepover Sleuths: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #1" by Carolyn Keene