footing n OED ~ 2 (1572-1847), EDD 2 for sense 1; OED 9, EDD 6 for sense 2. See also FEETING.
   1 Footprint (of a man, animal or bird); track; a path indicated by such signs; TRACKINGS.
   11776] 1792 CARTWRIGHT ii, 114 [The wolf] took [i.e. followed) my footing, and robbed six of my traps in succession, by digging at the backs of them. 1819 PANL CS 1 29 May After travelling about 1 Mile I discovered the footing of two or more Indians quite fresh. 1842 JUKES ii, 141 I could follow a 'footing' of a man, or detect that of a deer. [1886] LLOYD 87 'Oh! there's no trouble to find her; show me the footin' and I'll soon show you the hare!' 1914 WALLACE 187 ' 'Tisn't th' havin' a poor cruise now an' again's what's botherin' me,' began Ed, 'but they ain't no footin'; and where they ain't no footin', they ain't nothin'.' [1916] 1972 GORDON 87 We had a well-marked track over the snow-crusted marshes, but soon after leaving here it came on to snow, and all sign of footing was quickly obliterated. P 245-63 Footins [are] tracks left by partridge. T 453/4-67 We walked down along by the side o' the snow. By an' by we sees the footin; gone across the snow, man's footin'. 1972 Evening Telegram 19 May, p. 3 By the size of his footing he is not a small one either. I have never seen a moose's footing that size before.
   2 Phr pay one's footing, ~ footery: of a person new to a job, to stand a treat for the other workmen.
   1842 JUKES i, 263 Every fresh hand, they said, has to pay his footing for his first dip [i.e. fall into the water]: so I was obliged not only to lose my footing in water myself, but give it afterwards in rum to the crew. 1902 Christmas Bells 19 Now that this is your first winter's visit, you'll have to pay your footing by telling us a yarn. 1937 DEVINE 71 A custom prevailed in Newfoundland amongst fishermen, labourers and men of trades, especially those paid by the day, to wipe the boots and shoes of those who visited the scene of their work for the first time. It was called 'paying their footery,' which usually meant standing drinks for the crowd. The writer first saw this ceremony performed on the visiting member for the district of Bonavista in the sixties.

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