3It means a quite different thing in Australian slang than American, from the sound of those sentences. You should probably narrow the tagging accordingly: pick one. – Nathan Tuggy – 2015-05-13T05:19:51.310

I live in Australia, but would be important to know both in Australian and American or even in British English. – Roger Oliveira – 2015-05-13T05:26:12.637

1Yes, but it might work better to ask as separate questions: 'What does "bootstrap" mean in Australian slang?', for example. When each possible answer has to contain two or three parts, that's not good – Nathan Tuggy – 2015-05-13T05:28:22.643

1This isn't something I've heard before. Do you have a source for it? – jimsug – 2015-05-28T13:11:28.083

1You are asking for expressions using bootstrap, yet you claim to have seen it in some sentences. Can you please share them? – Ast Pace – 2015-06-03T03:06:51.410

1Bootstrap in America is a loop of material attached to the top of a boot allowing one to pull the boot onto ones foot easier. It also is used in the phrase to pull yourself up by your bootstraps - meaning to work your way out of a mess without anyone else's help - the "American Way". In computer science, I run into more often as a small piece of computer code that, when run, which allows another more complex piece of code to execute. – Michael Dorgan – 2015-06-10T22:21:30.157

1I'm an Australian who grew up in parts of the outback where many of the oddest Australian slang expressions are used without the slightest irony, and I have never heard the expressions above, nor any use of the term 'bootstrap' that can't be construed as 'lift yourself up from no support' (which is also what the computer term means). – whybird – 2015-06-16T23:52:23.107

1I also live in, and grew up in, Australia, and I have never heard the term "bootstrap" used that way. Can you link to the source? Or did you possibly mishear it? – brendan – 2015-06-23T01:36:38.400

1

I am trying to find the original link, I found another link: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bootstrap&defid=8050256 @brendan

1Thanks @RogerOliveira - doesn't that page answer your question then? (though it's British slang, rather than Australian) – brendan – 2015-06-23T01:51:02.517

1@brendan, yes I found my anwer in that link :) – Roger Oliveira – 2015-06-23T01:52:34.217

Many phrases on urban dictionary are pretty spurious or are just puns. I'm not saying 'I haven't heard of it so I don't believe it' or anything, but given the upvote/downvote number and ratio on that post I'm a little sceptical. I'm british and I don't think this would be well understood depending on context. Saying that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xewe4mlX2tc

Roger Oliveira, if you are satisfied with the answers given by @brendan's link, do you want to close this question or similar? – amblina – 2015-06-25T15:05:26.737

@amblina yes I can close this question. – Roger Oliveira – 2015-06-26T01:16:14.207