Get a foot in the door的意思就是:为了达到一个目的迈出了第一步。尽管你可能离达到目的的距离还很远。下面这个例子是一个学生说的话:
You know that beautiful girl who sits ahead of me in English class? She keeps turning me down for dates, but I finally got a foot in the door today: she met me for coffee after class.
你知道英语课坐在我前面那个很漂亮的女孩子吗?我请她出去玩,她老是拒绝我。可是,今天我算是迈出了第一步:她下课后和我一起喝了咖啡。
下面我们要举的例子是两个人在谈论一个很有政治野心的朋友。其中一个人说:
Getting into politics is tough. But Martin got his foot in the door when he volunteered to go around town putting up posters for the Republican candidate for Congress.
要进入政界是很难的。可是,马丁迈出了第一步,他在当地义务帮助共和党的国会议员候选人张贴标语。