Is it correct to say, "the foot of staircase"?

[Mike MC]

Standing at the foot of staircase, facing the stairs, you can see the secretary's room diagonally opposite you on the left-hand side.
Source: Mindset for IELTS 3, page 65

Shouldn't it be the foot of the staircase?

 

[Barque]

Yes.

I'd say "at the foot of the stairs, facing them".

 

[tedmc]

I would say "facing the steps".

 

[5jj]

We normally call them stairs indoors.

 

[teechar]

Shouldn't it be the foot of the staircase?

Yes, you're right, because "staircase" is a singular countable noun; therefore, a determiner (such as "the") is required.

 

[Rover_KE]

I often say ‘Well I’ll go to the foot of our stairs!’

 

[5jj]

‘well, I’ll go to the foot of our stairs’: meaning and early occurrences

UK (Midlands), 1939—exclamative phrase used to express astonishment or incredulity—the reason that this metaphor was chosen is unknown

wordhistories.net

 

[emsr2d2]

I often say ‘Well I’ll go to the foot of our stairs!’

Having grown up in the south-east of England, but with lots of extended family members from the Midlands (and other places north of Watford), I was very familiar with the phrase. I couldn't understand why all my peers at school were so baffled whenever I used it.

 

[5jj]

. I couldn't understand why all my peers at school were so baffled whenever I used it.

Perhaps they lived in bungalows.