Re: [libreoffice-users] ... bootstraps ...

On Wed, 10 Oct 2012, anne-ology wrote:

>       ... this phrase comes from a novel(s) at the turn of the Century -
>               when some writers were writing on the 'American dream';
>                   it may have originated in the Horatio Alger series of
> books.

I have had already written a couple of times, it comes from Baron von 
Münchhausen who reported pulling himself out of swamp by his own 
bootstraps.

more on the good Baron here:

(11 May 1720 – 22 February 1797) was a German nobleman and a famous 
recounter of tall tales. In his youth the Baron was sent to serve as a 
page to Duke Anthony Ulrich II of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and later joined 
the Russian military. He served until 1750, in particular taking part 
in two campaigns against the Ottoman Turks. Returning home, 
Münchhausen is said to have told a number of outrageously farfetched 
stories about his adventures. He died in his birthplace of 
Bodenwerder.

Even before his death, Münchhausen's reputation as a storyteller was 
exaggerated by several writers, giving birth to a fully fictionalized 
literary character usually called simply Baron Munchausen. The 
(fictional) Baron's exploits, usually narrated by himself, focus on 
his impossible achievements as a hunter, warrior, and traveler, 
including rides on cannonballs and trips to the moon.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_von_Münchhausen>

F.

>       FYI - when I think turn of the Century, I'm referring to 112, not
> 12, years ago  ;-)
>
>       BTW - many of these books have now been transcribed thanks to
> Gutenberg, www.gutenberg.org/, and can be read/downloaded from their
> various sites.
>       This is a nice place for us oldsters to re-read many of these from
> the past ...
>            and for you youngsters to read some nicely written books
> without the blasphemy, etc. in many of today's writings.
>
>       Hoping you enjoy the day, the week, ... ... ...
>
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 9, 2012 at 5:41 AM, Tom Davies <tomdavies04@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>
> Hi :)
> > Thanks all that responded to this!  Now I'm curious where the phrase
> > "raising yourself by your own bootstraps" came from.  Is it something to do
> > with horses?  Postal services?
> > Regards from
> > Tom :)
> >
> >
> >
> > > From: Doug <dmcgarrett@optonline.net>
> > > To: users@global.libreoffice.org
> > > Sent: Monday, 8 October 2012, 23:34
> > > Subject: Re: [libreoffice-users] attempting to find an answer and instead
> > ...
> > > The term "boot" or "boot up" comes from the idea of raising yourself by
> > your own bootstraps--seemingly impossible, but when you boot up, you are
> > using the operating system to start itself.
> > > --doug

--
Felmon Davis - Dept of Philosophy
Union College - Schenectady, NY

The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
                -- William Shakespeare, "The Merchant of Venice"

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