They pulled themselves up by their collective bootstraps
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>, <span word="with">with</span> “<span word="collective">collective</span> <span word="bootstraps">bootstraps</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="particular">particular</span>: “<span word="The">The</span> <span word="guys">guys</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="Aerosmith">Aerosmith</span> <span word="pulled">pulled</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="collective">collective</span> <span word="bootstraps">bootstraps</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="climbed">climbed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rock">rock</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="again">again</span>.”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="After">After</span> <span word="suffering">suffering</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="setback">setback</span>, <span word="members">members</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Aerosmith">Aerosmith</span> <span word="music">music</span> <span word="band">band</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rock">rock</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="roll">roll</span> <span word="world">world</span> – <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="song">song</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="album">album</span> <span word="dominating">dominating</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pop">pop</span> <span word="charts">charts</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="time">time</span>.</p><p><span word="They">They</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="succeed">succeed</span> <span word="again">again</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="musicians">musicians</span> <span word="banded">banded</span> <span word="together">together</span>, <span word="obviously">obviously</span>, <span word="putting">putting</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="differences">differences</span> <span word="aside">aside</span> (<span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>), <span word="and">and</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="team">team</span>.</p><p><span word="Pulling">Pulling</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="collective">collective</span> <span word="bootstraps">bootstraps</span> <span word="suggests">suggests</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="team">team</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="hard">hard</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> “<span word="pulling">pulling</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="collective">collective</span> <span word="bootstraps">bootstraps</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="read">read</span> <span word="literally">literally</span>.</p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="read">read</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="literally">literally</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="result">result</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="understanding">understanding</span> (<span word="or">or</span> <span word="misunderstanding">misunderstanding</span> <span word="rather">rather</span>) <span word="that">that</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="Aerosmith">Aerosmith</span> <span word="members">members</span> <span word="wear">wear</span> <span word="heavy">heavy</span> <span word="boots">boots</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="type">type</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="mountain">mountain</span> <span word="climbers">climbers</span> <span word="wear">wear</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="winter">winter</span> <span word="weather">weather</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="type">type</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="shoes">shoes</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="thick">thick</span> <span word="boot">boot</span> <span word="straps">straps</span>. <span word="No">No</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="case">case</span>. <span word="Not">Not</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="wear">wear</span> <span word="strong">strong</span> <span word="boots">boots</span>, <span word="certainly">certainly</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="summer">summer</span>.</p><p><span word="Pulling">Pulling</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="bootstraps">bootstraps</span>, <span word="collectively">collectively</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="individually">individually</span>, <span word="merely">merely</span> <span word="indicates">indicates</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="making">making</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="effort">effort</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="derived">derived</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fact">fact</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="squeeze">squeeze</span> <span word="one">one</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="feet">feet</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="heavy">heavy</span> <span word="boots">boots</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lace">lace</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="shoes">shoes</span> <span word="up">up</span> – <span word="the">the</span> <span word="straps">straps</span> <span word="refer">refer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="laces">laces</span>.</p>
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