bootblack
A person whose occupation is cleaning and polishing shoes or boots. It often refers to a historical or street-level worker who provides this service for a small fee.
Exemples
3 sur 5The bootblack sat on his wooden crate at the street corner, waiting for the morning commuters.
The bootblack sat on his wooden crate at the street corner, waiting for the morning commuters.
In Victorian literature, the figure of the orphan bootblack is frequently used to illustrate social inequality.
In Victorian literature, the figure of the orphan bootblack is frequently used to illustrate social inequality.
I managed to get my boots shined by a bootblack outside the station before the party.
I managed to get my boots shined by a bootblack outside the station before the party.
Synonymes
Famille de mots
Astuce mémo
Think of the person who makes the 'boot' 'black' and shiny again with polish.
Quiz rapide
The young man earned his first few coins working as a ___ at the busy railway station.
Correct !
La bonne réponse est : bootblack
Exemples
The bootblack sat on his wooden crate at the street corner, waiting for the morning commuters.
everydayThe bootblack sat on his wooden crate at the street corner, waiting for the morning commuters.
In Victorian literature, the figure of the orphan bootblack is frequently used to illustrate social inequality.
formalIn Victorian literature, the figure of the orphan bootblack is frequently used to illustrate social inequality.
I managed to get my boots shined by a bootblack outside the station before the party.
informalI managed to get my boots shined by a bootblack outside the station before the party.
Historical records indicate that the trade of the bootblack was one of the few urban jobs available to young children in the 1800s.
academicHistorical records indicate that the trade of the bootblack was one of the few urban jobs available to young children in the 1800s.
The luxury hotel still employs a traditional bootblack to provide premium services for its executive guests.
businessThe luxury hotel still employs a traditional bootblack to provide premium services for its executive guests.
Synonymes
Famille de mots
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
bootblack's kit
bootblack's kit
from bootblack to millionaire
from bootblack to millionaire
shine like a bootblack's job
shine like a bootblack's job
Souvent confondu avec
A blacksmith works with iron and metal, whereas a bootblack works with leather shoes and polish.
A cobbler repairs shoes (mending soles and heels), while a bootblack only cleans and shines them.
Notes d'usage
The term is primarily historical or literary. In modern conversation, people usually prefer the term 'shoeshiner' or 'shoe shiner'.
Erreurs courantes
Learners often think this word refers to the color of the boot itself rather than the person whose job it is to clean them.
Astuce mémo
Think of the person who makes the 'boot' 'black' and shiny again with polish.
Origine du mot
Originating in the mid-18th century, combining the noun 'boot' with 'black', referring to the blacking (shoe polish) used to color the leather.
Modèles grammaticaux
Contexte culturel
Bootblacks were a staple of urban life in the 19th and early 20th centuries, often represented in rags-to-riches stories like those by Horatio Alger.
Quiz rapide
The young man earned his first few coins working as a ___ at the busy railway station.
Correct !
La bonne réponse est : bootblack
Mots lis
to
A1Used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward. It can also mark the recipient of an action or the limit of a range.
and
A1A primary conjunction used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. It indicates addition, a sequence of events, or a relationship between two things.
a
A1A word used before a singular noun that is not specific or is being mentioned for the first time. It is used only before words that begin with a consonant sound to indicate one of something.
that
A1This word is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific person, object, or idea that is further away in space or time from the speaker. It is also used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned or to introduce a clause that identifies something.
I
A1The pronoun 'I' is used by a speaker or writer to refer to themselves as the subject of a verb. It is the first-person singular subject pronoun in English and is always capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence.
for
A1Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.
not
A1A function word used to express negation or denial. It is primarily used to make a sentence or phrase negative, often following an auxiliary verb or the verb 'to be'.
with
A1A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.
he
A1A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.
you
A1Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.
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