boots

See also: Boots

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /buːts/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːts

Noun

boots

1. plural of boot

Derived terms

• bossyboots
• slyboots

 

Noun

boots pl (plural only)

1. (Jamaica, slang, plural only) A condom.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:condom

   • 1980, Black Uhuru, "Abortion", Black Uhuru (re-released as Guess Who's Coming to Dinner in 1983):

     I said throw away the boots, I want my little youth

Noun

boots (plural bootses)

1. (dated) A servant at a hotel etc. who cleans and blacks the boots and shoes.
   • 1962, JW Goethe, translated by WH Auden and Elizabeth Mayer, Italian Journey, Penguin, published 1970, page 260:

     The old beggar ran up and down in his tattered toga, acting as both boots [translating Hausknecht] and waiter.

   • 2001, Jamie O'Neill, At Swim, Two Boys, New York: Scribner, →ISBN, page 411:

     The young man with Doyler, who indeed no longer worked at Lee's of Kingstown, but had advanced to a position of boots and bottle-washer at the Russell Hotel adjacent the Green, was looking uneasy. […] The boots was sure.

2. (UK, naval, slang) The ship in a fleet having the most junior captain.
   • 1705, The Life of William III, Late King of England, and Prince of Orange, page 334:

     […] he sent on the 22d. Vice-Admiral Rook into it, with several Men of War and Fire-Ships, besides the Boots of the Fleet, to endeavour to destroy them: […]

   • 2005, Frank Wade, A Midshipman's War, page 115:

     The captain of Hotspur was Lieutenant T. Herrick, the youngest commanding officer in all the destroyers, and says Hotspur was the “boots” of the fleet! Being the junior ship, she was given jobs no-one wanted.

Adverb

boots (not comparable)

2. (drag slang) Used as an intensifier: very, to a great degree; exceptionally.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:very

   That dress is fierce boots!

   • 2021 December 2, Raffy Ermac, “Meet the Sickening Queens of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 14”, in Out‎^[1]:

     Hello-tis, it's Jorgeous! This spicy Latina dancing diva started drag at the age of 16 and never looked back. A fierce performer who was born to do drag, Jorgeous is looking to dance the house down boots all the way to the top.

   • 2024 May 16, Joan Summers, “So Chic, Very Chic: Trade of the Season”, in Paper‎^[2]:

     As for Lindsay [Hubbard], it’s like this Courrèges dress was hand dyed to look as excellent on her as a dress could possibly look. Her breasts are sat, her waist snatched, and all the other sorts of things I could possibly say about a girl boss queen who slays boots the house.

   • 2024 June 12, Jess Reynolds, “47 pics from D.C.'s Capital Pride Parade 2024 that are boots the house (and Senate) down queer joy”, in Out‎^[3]:

     [see title]

   • 2024 August 11, Jordan Robledo, “Drag Race: Here’s why Miss Fiercalicious is “furious” over latest Canada vs the World episode”, in Gay Times‎^[4]:

     “Bring your best burns to the main stage and roast your partner down the house boots. The winner of each battle will earn themselves a top placement. While the loser will be in the bottom and possibly up for elimination,” Brad Goreski explained to the contestants.

   • 2024 September 6, Sam Damshenas, quoting Lemon, “Drag Race winner Lemon on fulfilling her zestiny and prioritising “party girl vibes””, in Gay Times‎^[5]:

     There’s some people in the world who treat the girls differently based on their track records, which is crazy boots, but now you can clock the tea, clock the track record, clock the win, clock the tiara and… you could never.

Usage notes

• It can modify verbs, adjectives or nouns. Often used together with the house down (or down the house) for further emphasis (e.g., boots the house down, the house down boots or the house boots down).

Verb

boots

1. third-person singular simple present indicative of boot

Anagrams

• Stobo, boost, botos

Jamaican Creole

Etymology 1

From English boot.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /buːts/
• Hyphenation: boots

Noun

boots (plural boots dem, quantified boots)

1. Alternative form of boot
2. (slang) condom (male contraceptive)

   Me fling weh di boots cah me waan gi' you a baby.

   I got rid of the condom because I want to give you a baby.

   • 2014, Janelle James, Emotry: Self Expression (in English), page 32:

     I hear some of the lyrics "Yuh pum pum clean and ready,
     Suh mi dash weh di boots, And mi cum inna yuh belly
     Giddy up pon di cocky"
     
     Wha de rass.....? […] ”

     I listen to some of the lyrics, "Your pussy is clean and ready[/perfect]. So I throw away the condom and I cum in your belly. Ride my cock. Giddy up!" What the fuck? […]

Related terms

• boot

Etymology 2

From English boost.

Verb

boots

1. encourage, promote

   Mi nah boots no violence. ― I'm not promoting any violence.

   • 2012, Melville Cooke, “Story Of The Song: Boxing a musical contender”, in The Jamaica Gleaner‎^[6], archived from the original on 18 June 2021:

     “An mi nah boots no violence, but if it should go to one on one, if you put me an Beenie inna de ring, take off all we jewel and put we inna two boxing glove, mi kill him. No Rasta gyal cyaah fight de general. I don't wanna go there. […] ”

     I'm not promoting any violence, but if there's ever a face off, and you put Beenie and me in the ring, take off all our jewellery and have us put on boxing gloves, I'll kill him. A Rasta girl can't fight the general. Let's not go there. […]

References

• boots – jamaicans.com Jamaican Patois dictionary

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English boots.

Noun

boots pl

1. boots

Usage notes

The difference from känga is subtle. The immediate intuition is compact, "chunky" boots, often black leather boots. Boots might more often be a fashion accessory, but is also idiomatic for certain types of boots, like cowboy boots.

Derived terms

• cowboyboots

See also

• känga
• stövel

References

• boots in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• boots in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)