subs. (colloquial).1. In pl. a servant, at hotels and places of a kindred character, who cleans the boots of visitors; formerly BOOT-CATCHERS, because in the old riding and coaching days part of their duty was to divest travellers of their footgear.
2. (military).The youngest officer in a regimental mess.
3. (old: B. E.).A Scotch torture, or rack, for the leg, to draw to confession.
4. (colloquial).In humorous (or sarcastic) combination; e.g., CLUMSY-BOOTS, LAZY-BOOTS, SLY-BOOTS, SMOOTH-BOOTS, etc.
c. 1680. R. NORTH, The Lives of the Norths, 169. [Lord Guildford was nicknamed] SLYBOOTS.
1729. BIGNON, The Adventures of Abdalla, 32. The frog calld several times, but in vain though the SLY-BOOTS heard well enough all the while.
Verb (military).1. To beat; to strap: the punishment is irregular and unconventional, being inflicted by soldiers on a comrade discovered guilty of some serious breach of the unwritten law of comradeship, such as theft, etc.: formerly inflicted with a bootjack.
2. (common).To kick; to hoop a man.
WHAT BOOTS IT? phr. (B. E.).What avails it?
PHRASES:TO MAKE ONE BOOT SERVE FOR EITHER LEG = to speak with double meaning. THE BOOT IS ON THE OTHER LEG = the case is altered, responsibility is shifted. TO HAVE ONES HEART IN ONES BOOTS = to be in extreme fear. OVER SHOES, OVER BOOTS = reckless continuance of a course begun; in for a lamb, in for a sheep. LIKE OLD BOOTS = vigorously, thorough-going. TO DIE IN ONES BOOTS or SHOES = to be hanged. TO BUY OLD BOOTS = to marry or keep another mans cast-off mistress. IN ONES BOOTS = very drunk: see SCREWED. TO GIVE THE BOOTS = to jeer at; to make a laughing-stock of. TO BET ONES BOOTS = a fanciful bet.
1595. SHAKESPEARE, Two Gentlemen of Verona, i. 1. Nay GIVE ME NOT THE BOOTS.
1630. TAYLOR (The Water Poet), Workes, ii. 145.
For where true courage roots, | |
The proverb says, ONCE OVER SHOES, OER BOOTS. |
1653. URQUHART, Rabelais, IV. xlv. [BOHN]. Whoever refused to do this should presently swing for it and DIE IN HIS SHOES.
d. 1734. R. NORTH, The Life of Lord Guildford, ii. 96. He used to say George (his son) would DIE IN HIS SHOES.
1742. BRANSTON [WALPOLE, Letter to Sir Horace Mann (1833), I. 180].
At the end of the walk hung a rogue on a gibbet! | |
He beheld it and wept, for it causd him to muse on | |
Full many a Campbell, that DIED WITH HIS SHOES ON. |
1816. KENNET, Glossary, 32. A country proverb.
1840. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends (The Execution).
And there is Sir Carnaby Jenks, of the Blues, | |
All come to see a man DIE IN HIS SHOES! |
1865. M. E. BRADDON, Sir Jaspers Tenant, xxvii., 282. Ill stick to you LIKE OLD BOOTS.
1874. The Saturday Review, Jan., 55. An Oxford man, nay even a Balliol man introduced in the story a pleasing change by such a phrase as jawing away LIKE OLD BOOTS.