as tough as old boots
Meaning: very strong; enduring; difficult to break.
Language: English
Literally: as tough as old boots
Category: Daily Life
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 idioms — Daily Life
- head honcho — the person in charge; the leader.
- get the short end of the stick — to receive unfair treatment; to get the worse deal.
- no love lost — mutual dislike; bad relations between people.
- throw in the towel — to give up; to concede defeat.
- the real McCoy — the genuine article; something authentic and high quality.
- get a kick out of something — to enjoy something greatly; to find something amusing.
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.
From our compliments & insults
- 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.