"in the foothills" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_text": "Presumably a reference to the need to pass through foothills before attempting to climb a mountain.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prepositional phrase",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "in the foothills",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "in the foothills",
      "name": "en-prep phrase"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "prep_phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1994, Steven L. Mintz, Five Eminent Contrarians: Careers, Perspectives, and Investment Tactics, page 13:",
          "text": "LeBaron followed electronics stocks, which were in the foothills of a major market surge.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2002, Arthur Nevis, Lares, page 12:",
          "text": "We seemed in the foothills of a fabulous conversation when quite suddenly he was asleep.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Bernadette Strachan, How to Lose a Husband and Gain a Life, page 221:",
          "text": "Ruby recognised his discomfort talking about whether they might actually be in the foothills of a relationship.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In the earliest stages; at the outset."
      ],
      "id": "en-in_the_foothills-en-prep_phrase-BBLzI3r~",
      "links": [
        [
          "earliest",
          "earliest"
        ],
        [
          "stages",
          "stages"
        ],
        [
          "outset",
          "outset"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) In the earliest stages; at the outset."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "in the foothills"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "Presumably a reference to the need to pass through foothills before attempting to climb a mountain.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prepositional phrase",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "in the foothills",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "in the foothills",
      "name": "en-prep phrase"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "prep_phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English prepositional phrases",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1994, Steven L. Mintz, Five Eminent Contrarians: Careers, Perspectives, and Investment Tactics, page 13:",
          "text": "LeBaron followed electronics stocks, which were in the foothills of a major market surge.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2002, Arthur Nevis, Lares, page 12:",
          "text": "We seemed in the foothills of a fabulous conversation when quite suddenly he was asleep.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Bernadette Strachan, How to Lose a Husband and Gain a Life, page 221:",
          "text": "Ruby recognised his discomfort talking about whether they might actually be in the foothills of a relationship.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In the earliest stages; at the outset."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "earliest",
          "earliest"
        ],
        [
          "stages",
          "stages"
        ],
        [
          "outset",
          "outset"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) In the earliest stages; at the outset."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "in the foothills"
}