Ponerse las botas
/poh-NER-seh las BOH-tas/
To indulge, feast, or profit greatly from a situation; to have a field day.
💡 Understanding the Idiom
🎨 Literal vs. Figurative
Literally, this just means 'to put on the boots'.
In practice, it means to feast, indulge, or profit from something.
Key Words in This Idiom:
📝 In Action
En la boda de mi prima, nos pusimos las botas comiendo marisco.
B2At my cousin's wedding, we really pigged out on seafood.
La empresa de tecnología se puso las botas durante la pandemia.
B2The tech company made a killing during the pandemic.
¡Vaya banquete! Hoy me voy a poner las botas.
B1What a feast! I'm going to have a field day today.
📜 Origin Story
This expression comes from military history. Hundreds of years ago, sturdy leather boots were a luxury that only wealthy knights and soldiers could afford, while common people wore simple sandals. When an army won a battle, the victorious soldiers would collect valuables from the fallen enemy. It was said they would literally fill their fancy boots with coins and jewels. So, 'putting on the boots' became a symbol of gaining great wealth and enjoying the spoils of victory. Over time, its meaning expanded to include indulging in any kind of abundance, especially a great feast.
⭐ Usage Tips
Two Main Uses: Food and Profit
The most common way you'll hear this is when talking about a feast ('¡Me puse las botas en el buffet!'). The second main use is for making a lot of money or taking great advantage of a situation ('El abogado se puso las botas con ese caso').
Remember It's Reflexive
This action is something a person does 'to themselves'. That's why you always need to include the little words 'me, te, se, nos, os, se' before the verb. For example, 'Yo me pongo las botas' (I'm pigging out) or 'Ellos se pusieron las botas' (They made a killing).
❌ Common Pitfalls
It's Not (Usually) About Footwear
Mistake: "Thinking the phrase is only about literally putting on boots."
Correction: While 'ponerse las botas' can literally mean to put on boots, its idiomatic meaning is far more common in everyday conversation. Context is everything. If someone says it at a dinner table, they are definitely talking about food, not their shoes.
🌎 Where It's Used
Spain
Extremely common and widely used for both feasting and profiting from a situation.
Latin America
It's understood in many countries but is generally less common than in Spain. People might use more direct phrases like 'darse un festín' (to give oneself a feast) instead.
🔗 Related Idioms
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: Ponerse las botas
Question 1 of 1
If your friend says 'Me puse las botas en el restaurante', what does he mean?
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use 'ponerse las botas' for things other than food or money?
Yes, absolutely! While food and money are the most common contexts, you can use it more broadly to mean 'to have a great time' or 'to take full advantage of something'. For example, 'Los niños se pusieron las botas en el parque de atracciones' means 'The kids had a blast at the amusement park'.