What does it Mean to ‘Hang up One’s Boots’?

To hang up your boots means to take retirement.

This expression was first used in the context of football. Boots are considered essential to play football. If a player hangs up his boots, it means he no longer wants to play, or he is taking retirement.

In this expression, the word ‘boots’ is replaced by a different appropriate word when we are talking about some other sport. For example —

When we talk about Boxing — Hang up one’s gloves

When talking about skating — Hang up one’s skates

…and so on.

Gradually, this term extended to other areas as well. The word ‘Boots’ became a metaphor for working clothes so if a person hangs up his working clothes, it means he no longer needs them, he is retiring.

For example —

“Although he is seventy, he is not ready to hang up his boots. He loves his work so much that he will work till his last breath.”

It means he loves his work so much that he is not yet ready to retire.

I hope you found this story interesting. If you did, buy my full course on Udemy or watch it for free on Skillshare by signing up here. This course covers nearly 380 idioms with their origins and backstories.

Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.