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general::
Phrase(s): *off on the wrong foot [and] *off to a bad start
Fig. starting something (such as a friendship) with negative factors. (*Typically: be ~; get ~.) • Bill and Tom got off on the wrong foot. They had a minor car accident just before they were introduced. • Let’s work hard to be friends. I hate to get off on the wrong foot.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs