What Makes Something “to Boot” an Extra in the Bargain?

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hi, this is Darla Collins. I’m calling from Memphis, Tennessee.

Hi, Darla. How are you doing?

Hi, I’m great. How are you?

Excellent. Thanks for calling. What can we help you with?

I called about a phrase that I’ve heard all my life, and it wasn’t until recently that I wondered where it came from, and it’s the phrase, to boot.

And it’s always been used in the context of also or as well as in like, oh, he got a raise, but he got a bonus to boot.

And I always wondered about that here recently.

Ever since I started listening to the way it’s words, I was kind of looking for things.

And this one, I don’t know if it’s two words, if it’s one word, where it came from, what’s this boot all about?

Yeah, it doesn’t have anything to do with footwear.

Were you thinking it might have to do with the kind of boot you wear on your foot?

I have no idea.

I wasn’t really sure what to think of it.

I actually used to think that that it had to do with a little extra kick.

Oh, I was always thinking like boots come in pairs.

That was kind of vaguely.

You don’t just have one boot.

You got another boot.

Oh, oh, interesting.

But neither one of those has anything to do with this expression, Darla.

It’s interesting, though, right?

Because this one’s got deep roots.

It’s got very deep roots, all the way back to Old English and beyond.

The Old English word, Darla, boat, B-O-T, meant advantage or remedy or a good thing.

It’s actually linguistically related to the English words better and best.

And so if you’re throwing in something to boot, you’re throwing in something that’s an extra advantage or you’re throwing something into the bargain.

Oh, wow.

Does that make sense?

Yeah.

Yeah, it’s something usually positive thrown in, but sometimes not so.

So we might call this one idiomatic residue, right?

Because all the other forms of boot in this way have disappeared or transformed into words like better and best.

And we don’t use that particular boot in any other way except in this one phrase.

So it’s spelled B-O-T?

No, no.

It used to be spelled B-O-T with a long O, but now it’s B-O-O-T.

So it’s two words, T-O and then B-O-O-T.

Yeah, it’s an odd one.

Yeah, but you might say like Grant is a handsome guy and smart to boot.

Well, thank you.

That was just an interesting phrase I’d always heard.

I always wondered about that.

-huh.

Well, we’re happy to help you, Darla.

All right.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Take care.

Bye-bye.

All right.

Bye-bye.

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