pair of shoes
A case or situation that is different from another.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Working in an office is a different pair of shoes.”
“I know how to cook, but running a restaurant is a completely different pair of shoes.”
“While he understood the theory of the project, managing the actual implementation proved to be a different pair of shoes entirely.”
disputed origin
The expression is possibly a corruption of the French word *chose*, meaning a thing or a matter. This linguistic shift would suggest that a different pair of shoes is, in its origins, simply a different matter entirely.
- 01
dead men's shoes
A position or property that is only attainable by someone else upon the current holder's death.
- 02
extra pair of hands
The assistance of another person.
- 03
fill someone's shoes
To do (somebody's) job; to perform or assume (somebody's) role.
- 04
get a pair
Synonym of grow a pair.
- 05
grow a pair
To be brave; to show some courage, especially in a situation in which one has so far failed to do so.
- 06
have a pair
To be manly, brave.
- 07
ones and twos
[Cockney slang]shoes
- 08
put on one's dancing shoes
To prepare for celebration or rejoicing; to put oneself in a positive frame of mind.
Last updated August 10, 2026