Make Your Point > Archived Issues > BOOTSTRAP

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explore the archives: Since 1975, we've talked about "booting" our computers, a term we took from the earlier concept of "bootstrapping" them (1958), or getting them to load their own operating systems--as if each machine is reaching down to grab itself by its own bootstraps and hoist itself up. That's the more general meaning we'll focus on: to bootstrap is to help yourself succeed, without help from others. Also from the world of computers is the word kl____, meaning any type of system that somehow gets the job done despite being messy, complicated, and totally inelegant. Can you recall that word? make your point with... "BOOTSTRAP" Imagine you're wearing boots and you reach down, grab onto your bootstraps (those little loops that help you pull the boots on) and yank yourself upward. It's impossible. To "pull yourself up by your bootstraps," then, is to lift yourself to a new, better situation, without anyone's help. And to bootstrap something, or to bootstrap your way through something, is the same thing: to help yourself succeed, on your own, even when it seems impossible. Pronunciation: BOOT strap Part of speech: Often a verb, the transitive kind. (Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object. You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone. Likewise, you bootstrap something or bootstrap yourself.) Other forms: bootstrapped, bootstrapping How to use it: Talk about bootstrapping something: bootstrap the new business, bootstrap the financing, bootstrap the business operations, bootstrap the existing technologies. Or, talk about bootstrapping something into existence, or bootstrapping something into something else: a colony of bacteria that bootstrapped itself into being, a plan to bootstrap his work on this project into greater opportunities. You can also bootstrap something out of something else: to bootstrap a singing career out of YouTube. And, you can bootstrap your way out of something, bootstrap your way through something, or bootstrap your way into something: they expect us to bootstrap our way out of poverty, she bootstrapped her way through the unpaid internship, he'll bootstrap his way into the upper crust. So far, we've considered "bootstrap" a verb. We also use it as an adjective, in four forms: "bootstrap," "bootstraps," "bootstrapped," and "bootstrapping." Here are some examples:    bootstrap self-reliance    bootstrap politics    bootstrap rhetoric    bootstraps background    bootstraps narrative    bootstraps leader    bootstraps philosophy    bootstrapped startup    bootstrapping entrepreneurs Finally, you can stick closer to the word's origins and use it as a noun: talk about people or groups who grew, prospered, or succeeded by their bootstraps, or who pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps, or who lifted something by its bootstraps. examples: Scandals, recalls, bad press, and ridiculed products hadn't ruined the company--it bootstrapped itself back to respectability. She thanks her bootstraps childhood for her unshakable frugality. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "bootstrap" means when you can explain it without saying "hoist yourself up somehow" or "make something succeed using minimal resources or help." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Certain people) who have (a certain problem, limitation, or lack of resources) can't be expected to pull themselves up by their bootstraps." Example: "Recently immigrated students who have a very limited knowledge of English can't be expected to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. But somehow, many do." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing with lines of poetry that include words we've checked out together in previous issues. I’ll give you a few lines from the poem, with a blank where our word appears, along with its definition. See if you can come up with it. Each answer will appear in the next day's issue. Enjoy! From the previous issue: From Maya Angelou's poem "A Plagued Journey:"    "My mind, formerly _________    in its snug encasement, is strained     to look upon their rapturous visages,       to let them enter even into me." Definition: inactive, still, and quiet. (Hints: three syllables, starts with Q, rhymes with "florescent.") Answer: quiescent. Try this today: From Linda Pastan's poem "The Answering Machine:"    "I call and hear your voice     on the answering machine     weeks after your death,     a _________ ghost still longing     for human messages." Definition: very new, like a young bird learning to fly. (Hints: two syllables, starts with F.) review today's word: 1. A close opposite of BOOTSTRAP is A. TO GET SOMEONE'S GOAT B. TO RIDE SOMEONE'S COATTAILS C. TO RAIN ON SOMEONE'S PARADE 2. Ironically, when Bootstrap Bill was tied to a cannon, nearly drowning in the ocean, _____. A. he had a spiritual epiphany B. he couldn't free himself and was rescued by someone else C. his predicament was made even worse by his elaborate, constrictive clothing Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B