One foot in the grave describes someone who is very old, but is most often used in a joking way.
The expression appeared in English several centuries ago. It uses the image of a person already partly in the grave to represent the idea of being near death.
The expression appeared in English several centuries ago. It uses the image of a person already partly in the grave to represent the idea of being near death.
He joked that after climbing the steep hill he felt like he had one foot in the grave.