pull oneself up by one's bootstraps

== English == === Alternative forms === pull oneself up by one's own bootstraps, lift oneself up by one's bootstraps, lift oneself up by one's own bootstraps, raise oneself up by one's bootstraps, raise oneself up by one's own bootstraps === Etymology === Early 19th century US; attested 1834. In original use, often used to refer to pulling oneself over a fence, and implying that someone is attempting or has claimed some ludicrously far-fetched or impossible task. Presumably a variant on a traditional tall tale, as elaborated below. The shift in sense to a possible task appears to have developed in the early 20th century, and the use of the phrase to mean “a ludicrous task” continued into the 1920s. Widely attributed since at least 1901 to The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen, (1781) by Rudolf Erich Raspe, where the eponymous Baron pulls himself out of a swamp by his own pigtail, though not by his bootstraps. The Adventures is primarily a collection of centuries-old tall tales, however, and using bootstraps may have arisen as a variant on the same theme. === Pronunciation === === Verb === pull oneself up by one's bootstraps (third-person singular simple present pulls oneself up by one's bootstraps, present participle pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps, simple past and past participle pulled oneself up by one's bootstraps) (idiomatic) To begin an enterprise or recover from a setback without any outside help; to succeed only by one's own efforts or abilities. Synonyms: lift oneself up by one's own waistbands, lift oneself up by one's boot-tags, lift oneself up by one's own boot-tags, take oneself up by one's own ears 1834 Oct. 4, Workingman's Advocate, p. 1: It is conjectured that Mr. Murphee will now be enabled to hand himself over the Cumberland river or a barn yard fence by the straps of his boots. ==== Derived terms ==== bootstrap (computing sense), bootstrappy, bootstrap paradox ==== Translations ==== === See also === poverty is a state of mind self-starter rugged individualism gibsmedat, Uncle Sugar (derogatory, government welfare aid) lone wolf === References === figurative "bootstraps" (1834), Benjamin Zimmer, American Dialect Society, Thu, 11 Aug 2005 16:24:16 -0400 Re: bootstraps--speculation/questions, Benjamin Zimmer, American Dialect Society, Sun, 28 Aug 2005 19:02:24 -0400 World Wide Words: Boot, Michael Quinion