boot (redirected from dies with boots on)

be as full as a boot/tick (Australian, informal)

to be very drunk. Old Clive was as full as a boot when he left the hotel last night.

See also: full, tick

be as tough as old boots

1. if someone is as tough as old boots, they are very strong and not easily injured. 'Do you think Grandad will ever recover?' 'Of course, he's as tough as old boots.'

(British, American & Australian, American)

2. if food is as tough as old boots, it is difficult to cut or to eat. That steak I had was as tough as old boots.

See also: old, tough

be quaking in your boots

to be very frightened or anxious. My first teacher had one of those deep, booming voices that had you quaking in your boots.

See also: quake

be shaking in your boots/shoes

to be very frightened or anxious. Damon was shaking in his shoes when he heard all the shouting.

See also: shake, shoe

the boot is on the other foot (British & Australian, American)

if you say that the boot is on the other foot, you mean that a situation is now the opposite of what it was before, often because a person who was in a weak position is now in a strong position. In the past, we had great influence over their economy, but the boot is on the other foot now.

See also: foot, other

boot-licking

lick someone's boots - to try too hard to please someone important. Far too much boot-licking goes on in this office.

a bossy boots (British & Australian, informal)

an impolite way of describing someone who always tells other people what to do. Karen's such a bossy boots - ordering us around all the time.

die with your boots on

to die while you are still actively involved in your work. I never want to retire - I'd rather die with my boots on.

See also: die

get the boot (informal)

give someone the boot - to stop employing someone. Did she tell you why she got the boot?

give someone the boot

1. to stop employing someone. They gave him the boot for swearing at his manager.

2. to end a romantic relationship with someone. She gave him the boot because he wouldn't stop talking about his ex-girlfriends.

See also: give

hang up your boots

to permanently stop playing a sport. After a disastrous season it is rumoured that Gregory may hang up his boots once and for all.

See also: hang

someone's heart is in their boots

if someone's heart is in their boots, they feel sad or worried. His heart was in his boots as he waited for news of the accident.

See also: heart

lick someone's boots (informal)

to try too hard to please someone important. I'm not prepared to lick someone's boots to get a promotion.

See also: lick

make someone quake in their boots

be quaking in your boots - to be very frightened or anxious. Just the sound of her voice made me quake in my boots.

See also: quake

put the boot in (British, informal)

1. to make a bad situation worse. He lost his job and then his wife put the boot in by announcing she was leaving him.

(British, informal)

2. to attack someone by kicking them again and again, usually when they are lying on the ground. Four lads pushed him down and then put the boot in.

too big for your boots (British, American & Australian, informal, American, informal)

someone who is too big for their boots behaves as if they are more important or more clever than they really are. Since he was made team captain, he's been ordering us all around and generally getting much too big for his boots.

See also: big

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boot up

to start a computer. I have eight computers in my office and each one of them boots up differently.

get the boot

to be forced to leave a job. Which congressmen will get the boot from the voters in the next election?

get the ax

to boot

also. She said she liked living at home, and she was saving money to boot.