(1970s, _, British, _, slang) One of a gang of violent hooligans who usually wear short-cropped hair and bovver boots.
[Skip to main content](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/1999/jul/26/artsfeatures#maincontent) [Skip to navigation](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/1999/jul/26/artsfeatures#navigation) This article is more than…
[Jump to content](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boot_boy#bodyContent) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia English household servant A **boot boy**, often simply **boots**, was an English [household servant](https://…
(1970s, _, British, _, slang) One of a gang of violent hooligans who usually wear short-cropped hair and bovver boots.
Among Bryan Gunn's myriad incarnations, from Alex Ferguson's babysitter through Scotland goalkeeper to Norwich manager, boot boy to Alex McLeish was one of the less successful. Once, just before a Scottish Cup final, McLeish discovered h…
"boot boy" means one of a gang of violent hooligans who usually wear short-cropped hair and bovver boots. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "boot boy".
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(UK) A hooligan who creates bother (trouble), specifically a member of a skinhead gang.
(1970s, _, British, _, slang) Stout lace-up boots, especially Dr. Martens, perceived to be worn for the purpose of kicking people in fights, and popular with skinheads or other troublemakers out looking for bovver.
(South Africa, historical) The black leader of a gang of miners.
"boot boy" means one of a gang of violent hooligans who usually wear short-cropped hair and bovver boots. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"boot boy" is informal English meaning one of a gang of violent hooligans who usually wear short-cropped hair and bovver boots. It is mainly heard in British English (and Irish English). A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "one of a gang of violent hooligans who usually wear short-cropped hair and bovver boots" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "boot boy" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing.
(C19, _, British) A boy who cleans boots and shoes.
He's [Enda Kenny] acting like a political thug and a political boot boy in a party political fashion.
“[Skip to main content](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/1999/jul/26/artsfeatures#maincontent) [Skip to navigation](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/1999/jul/26/artsfeatures#navigation) This article is more than **26 years old** # The calculated rise of the cultured boot boy This article is more than 26 years old Author Stewart Home calls himself a "writer of serious jokes".”
“[Jump to content](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boot_boy#bodyContent) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia English household servant A **boot boy**, often simply **boots**, was an English [household servant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_worker "Domestic worker").”
(British, soccer) A boy who cares for a footballer's boots.
He's [Enda Kenny] acting like a political thug and a political boot boy in a party political fashion.