Well-heeled?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Bottom line for judging a government: do its citizens live without fear of violence?

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You instill in all people a desire to be free of tyranny and dictatorship. You made us free of your control, so why on Earth would we willingly submit to the control of something or someone less than you? You could have controlled us like puppets, but you didn’t. You wanted us free to love you and love others, not bound in fear or uncertainty. Free to choose you or not, free to live our lives in pursuit of the dreams your spirit gives us, you make us more than we could imagine. Free of guilt and self-doubt, we can live confident and secure in the knowledge that you want what nurtures and builds us into maturity; you have no interest in making us adhere to stale religious creeds and religious laws. I imagine you take pride in your independent children who constantly surprise you and are a delight to you.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Aren’t we there yet?”

[Not what He said when His parents took him to Jerusalem.]

D. Blog: How are your heels?

Evan Morris of word-detective.com explains "well-heeled."

Dear Word Detective: Can you help me with the origin of the term "well-heeled"? I assume it refers to a wealthy man who keeps his shoe or boot heels up, but I haven't been able to find a definitive reference or original usage. -- Jim Puskar, via the internet.

I'll certainly give it a shot, but I'm not entirely clear on the origin you seem to be proposing. Do you mean that "well-heeled" comes from the ability of rich folks to keep their footwear in good repair? Or do you mean (as I first interpreted your question) that the wealthy get to relax and put their feet up most of the time? Personally, I like the sound of the second interpretation. If I were rich, I wouldn't even wear shoes.

As it happens, however, "well-heeled," meaning "rich" or at least "well-off," is usually thought to refer to the well-maintained shoes of the rich and famous. Someone who is "well-heeled" certainly has enough money (and probably, like Imelda Marcos, enough pairs of shoes) to ensure that the heels of his or her shoes are regularly replaced before they deteriorate from wear. "Well-heeled," an American coinage, first appeared in print around 1873. Curiously, that date makes "well-heeled" a newcomer compared to its opposite, "down at the heels," meaning "poor" or "destitute," which was common by the 17th century. "Down at the heels" refers, of course, to the sad state of a poor person's worn-out shoes.

[Next question: how do well + off = wealthy? Seems like an oxymoron...]