Englishas tough as old boots
Meaning: very strong; enduring; difficult to break.
Example: “My grandmother still chops her own firewood; she's as tough as old boots.”
Origin: Leather boots worn hard for years genuinely do become extraordinarily tough: repeated soaking, drying, and flexing stiffens the hide until an old pair can survive treatment that would destroy almost anything else in a household. The phrase is British, attested from the 1800s, and it runs in two directions that reinforce one another. Applied to a person it is admiring — resilient, hard to injure, not easily worn down. Applied to food, and to meat in particular, it is a complaint, comparing an overcooked cut to boot leather. The two senses sit close enough together that boots being literally eaten in extremity became a stock image of hardship, played for comedy in Chaplin's The Gold Rush. The expression is equally current in Australian English.
More English idioms
- up the creek without a paddle in a difficult situation without means to escape.
- paint the town red to celebrate wildly; to party extensively.
- fit as a fiddle in excellent physical condition; healthy.
- take the plunge to commit to something risky; to make a decisive move.
- a nose for something a talent for finding or recognizing something; keen instinct.
- keep your chin up to remain optimistic; to stay courageous during difficulty.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Sei un salame You're a clumsy, dopey softie — said with a smile.
- Eres más corto que las mangas de un chaleco You're not the sharpest — a bit slow on the uptake.
- Du bist nicht die hellste Kerze auf der Torte You're a little dim — not the smartest in the room.
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