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Hey North American folk out there,
I'm a little quaint English person wondering about your idioms.
Do you use the phrase "to boot" to mean, informally, "as well" or "in addition"?
For example, "I went and bought myself a brand new pair of Levis and got a free pair of y-pants to boot."
Or is this a terribly British scenario?
Do help me!
Ta muchly
Hello jworley,
I have been living in USA for the past 12 years but I have never heard/read the term to boot in that context. Neither when I lived in Mexico and worked for the "American" comunity.
Xóchitl
Hello jworley and Xochitil:
Yes, that is a very common phrase in the U.S. I've heard it all my life...and that's quiet awhile :).
In addition,to your example, we might say "We could get thunderstorms today and maybe a tornado to boot". Or "She has a great personality and talent to boot."
I agree with my dear Xótchi, I have never heard it to mean that. Not saying they don't use it, but wouldn't say that it's very common either. If it were, chances are, I would have heard it before.
Good to know Vicente so I won't be surprised if I ever hear it.Quote:
Originally Posted by vicente
Thanks,
Xóchitl
"If it were, chances are, I would have heard it before."
Well my dear Cotty, once again you are wrong. Perhaps you didn't live in the US long enough after all. It is incredible to me that you have the nerve to continue to dispute a native speaker on such simple matters.
Vicente
I am very seldom wrong. Would you mind sharing the many instances where I've been wrong in my 600 posts? Are you keeping a record on my participations? If so, thank you for showing such deep interest in me, but I'm afraid it's not mutual.Quote:
Well my dear Cotty, once again you are wrong.
Stop being on the defensive. I am not attacking you. It seems every time I say something that does not agree with your opinion, you take it personally. I don't know you and have zero interest in agreeing or disagreeing with you. I can't understand either why you feel that every answer you give is undisputable. I am a native Spanish speaker and yet I can be corrected in many cases.
I am entitled to voice my opinion, knowledge, expertise, and experience in this field, whether you like it or not.
If you have something else to tell me or feel the need to have a battle of wits, kindly do it through a private message so that we don't disrespect and bore our peers here.
"I am very seldom wrong."
LOL No need to argue further. I think this says it all.
Yes, that's right. I am seldom wrong here because whenever I contribute something in this forum I not only rely on my knowledge, but always do some research on the matter in question.
Laugh all you want. You seem to find it hard to believe that people can be often right.
Does this mean you are often wrong? That doesn't say much of your participations here.
For the last time, please say to me all you must, but do it through a private message and not in public forum.
Let's keep a relaxed atmosphere for our community users!
"For the last time, please say to me all you must, but do it through a private message and not in public forum."
See my comments in other thread for the answer to this.
jworley
I hope that my comment and subsequent unrelated posts did not threadjack your post and interrupt further discussion on the matter thus leaving you w/o a suitable answer to your inquiry.
In view of Vicente's misunderstanding—in lack of a better word—I'd like to clarify that the problem I had was not with the existence or use of the expression itself, but with the use of the qualifier very. For me, a very common expression is one that everyone knows at the snap of one's fingers w/o much thinking. I asked a couple of Am. friends if they have heard it and they said No, they haven't.Quote:
I agree with my dear Xótchi, I have never heard it to mean that. Not saying they don't use it, but wouldn't say that it's very common either. If it were, chances are, I would have heard it before.
Hence, I wouldn't go as far as to say it is a very common expression. I think it would be fair to say that—if anything— to boot is a somewhat common expression or a rather common expression as opossed to a very common expression.
I'd like to add that you will be able to do the math yourself on whether it's very or somewhat common based on the entries you get here. So far, two haven't heard it before, and one claims that is very common. Let's hear what other's have to say, so that you can come to your own conclusion.
However, your question was:
and the direct answer to it is: yes. Now, how often? That's another thing :)Quote:
Do you use the phrase "to boot" to mean, informally, "as well" or "in addition"?
Regards,
C.
I agree with my dear Xótchi, I have never heard it to mean that.
"I'd like to clarify that the problem I had was not with the existence or use of the expression itself"
"I asked a couple of Am. friends if they have heard it and they said No, they haven't."
"Hence, I wouldn't go as far as to say it is a very common expression. I think it would be fair to say that—if anything— to boot is a somewhat common expression or a rather common expression as opossed to a very common expression."
"However, your question was:
Do you use the phrase "to boot" to mean, informally, "as well" or "in addition"?
and the direct answer to it is: yes."
The more you write the more you contradict yourself schoolmarm.
If you and your friends have never heard of the expression how in the world can you say that the answer is yes to jworley's question? Incredible.
Semantics aside, the phrase originated in Old English and is very common in the United States.
Idiom
4. to boot, in addition; besides: We received an extra week's pay to boot.
"I agree with my dear Xótchi, I have never heard it to mean that.
"I'd like to clarify that the problem I had was not with the existence or use of the expression itself"
"I asked a couple of Am. friends if they have heard it and they said No, they haven't."
"Hence, I wouldn't go as far as to say it is a very common expression. I think it would be fair to say that—if anything— to boot is a somewhat common expression or a rather common expression as opossed to a very common expression."
"However, your question was:
Do you use the phrase "to boot" to mean, informally, "as well" or "in addition"?
and the direct answer to it is: yes."
The more you write the more you contradict yourself schoolmarm.
If you and your friends have never heard of the expression how in the world can you say that the answer is yes to jworley's question? Incredible.
Semantics aside, the phrase originated in Old English and is very common in the United States.
Idiom
4. to boot, in addition; besides: We received an extra week's pay to boot.
Help!! Witch hunt!!
Because the fact that we don't use it doesn't mean that no one uses it. As I said before, I always research stuff before I make a comment. This expression is used in the US according to the American Free Dictionary. I also read your post before I posted mine.Quote:
If you and your friends have never heard of the expression how in the world can you say that the answer is yes to jworley's question?
I just had a problem with your saying it was very common and I have explained why above.
You edited and chopped up my comment. I said in my first post that
It's Christmas...relax...don't you have any Christmas parties to go to?Quote:
Not saying they don't use it, but wouldn't say that it's very common either.
See, as I said in the other post, even when it is pointed out to you where you are wrong you still deny it.
I could go on with this but you are obviously too self-righteous to accept anything I say.
You are not only arrogant but condescending as well.
I rest my case. This is too boring and I don't want to keep threadjacking jwolrey's post. So, I'm outta here.
People that read this can see that you want me to accept that this expression is very common just because you say so. I won't.
"I rest my case."
:D Thank God!!
You bet!
Dealing with nonsense has a limit. I am a fan of enriching discussion and exchanging points of view, but all you can do is call me every name in the book:
I don't want to fall to such level.Quote:
...schoolmarm...self-righteous... arrogant but condescending as well.
I never would have guessed that this innocent question would cause so much kerfuffle. "To boot" is used in the US to mean exactly what jworley wondered. I would expect people with a high school education to understand it without explanation.
Thanks for interrupting the storm in a tea-cup Scott!
Does this mean that it isn't a very widely used phrase?Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottJ
Is it a particularly "class" specific phrase?
Scott
It wasn't the question as such that caused the confusion, but rather the reaction that Vicente had about my comment.
I thought it was an excellent, innocent :) question and I am always glad to be able to learn something new. And, as I said before, I hope that jwolrey gets a clearer picture in regard to this expression and its use in the US.