Expression: "Please don't shake your leg."

[Tom]

Hi

You must have seen people who sort of shake their one leg when they sit on a chair or in a sofa--the leg moves up and down. My class students do it a lot. So, could you please tell me if the following sounds OK and natural to you?

[Alan]

Hi Tom,

I'm not aware of this happening, to be honest. But if people do it and you don't want them to do it, by all means say: Don't shake your leg.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Word Story: Weather

[Conchita]

Your sentence sounds perfectly natural to me, Tom. Personally, I'd never dream of saying that to anyone, though. In fact, I make this kind of unconscious movement myself often enough. Of course, if I'm sharing a bench, for example, I try not to, but then in those cases I'm particularly self-conscious and find it easier to control my movements.

[Alan]

Hi,

Just another point related to the leg movement - there is an expression: Shake a leg! This means: Get a move on/Hurry up/Get started.

Alan
_________________
English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Indirect Speech

[Pamela]

[Yankee]

Hi Tom

In my opinion, it would be more typical to describe this particular unconscious habit with the verb 'bounce' rather than 'shake'.

Rather than using a direct command/request, you might also mention the disturbance more humorously. Can you think of a way to do that? A way which would be suitable for your group, Tom?

If you are teaching an English class, you might consider making use of the person who is bouncing/shaking their leg in order to teach the whole class what the words "shake a leg" mean -- both literally and idiomatically.
.

[Yankee]