footlooseadj.

1650 ‘Hierophilus’ Festered Consciences New Launced 13 Hee that rightly understands Pauls charge to Timothy, will thinke himselfe foot-loose from all other imployments.

1658 G. Atwell Faithfull Surveyour iv. 23 Because I desire to make all things so plain, that we may be sure you can stick at nothing, we will lead you through one line, and then turn you foot-loose.

1702 C. Beaumont J. Beaumont's Psyche (new ed.) xiii. cxlviii. 202 Sedition was his Drift, and he could ne'r Persue that game unless he footloose were.

1819 Methodist Rev. Sept. 350 It would appear that their bible was to be their only rule and guide in faith and practice; but it was, in fact, turning every one foot-loose, as every individual had an equal right to put his own construction, in order to answer his own purposes, on every question, as to doctrine or government.

1859 Weekly Standard (Raleigh, N. Carolina) 31 Aug. 3/1 But in the committee of the whole House, where the yeas and nays are not recorded, they will be foot loose, and will vote as they please without being called to account.

1899 Jrnl. Amer. Geogr. Soc. N.Y. 31 208 They set out foot-loose, in light marching order, for a hard trip across The Granites to the mouth of the grand cañon of the West Rosebud.

1910 W. M. Raine Bucky O'Connor 52 We went in together for all the kinds of spreeing that young fellows who are footloose are likely to do.

1922 Brooklyn Mus. Q. 9 181 To enter you ride..through lanes piled high with dusty sand where foot-loose horses, burros, dogs, goats, fowls, and tattered children move reluctantly aside to let you pass.

1961 Guardian 6 Feb. 8/4 A migrant group is likely to include..some who are merely footloose, who will settle nowhere.

2014 Mint (Nexis) 20 June Invoking the skills of Ben Hur, using the charioteer's approach to rein in the footloose horses.

1939 Struct. Amer. Econ. (U.S. National Resources Planning Board) i. iv. 59/1 This is a characteristically foot-loose industry, able to locate virtually anywhere.

1963 Town Planning Rev. 34 206 ‘Footloose’ industry is only a very small percentage of the total amount of existing, or even of new industry.

1992 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 20 Oct. a24/1 Where a business infrastructure exists, a race has begun to attract ‘footloose’ industries..that can draw investment and create jobs and exports almost overnight.

2015 M. Heidenreich & N. Baur in S. Lundan Transnational Corporations & Transnational Governance 203 MNCs are not footloose companies that can hook up to global networks of transportation.