Ponerse las botas

to eat like a king; **to eat like a king**; **to feast**; **to stuff oneself**; **to make a killing**; **to cash in**; **to clean up**; **to make a fortune** (depending on context)

Ponerse las botas has two common meanings.

The first—and most traditional—is to eat extremely well or in large quantities.

The second is to profit greatly from a situation, often by earning a lot of money or gaining an unexpected advantage.

In both cases, the underlying idea is abundance.

• enjoys an excellent meal
• eats far more than usual
• makes a great deal of money
• benefits enormously from a situation
• takes full advantage of an opportunity

The expression probably dates back to a time when boots were expensive, durable items associated with wealth and social status.

Someone who could afford good boots was assumed to be doing well in life.

Over time, ponerse las botas came to symbolise enjoying abundance, whether in food or financial gain.

The connection with prosperity is widely accepted.

The second meaning often carries a hint of criticism.

If someone says:

Se han puesto las botas.

they may be implying that another person has made excessive profits, perhaps unfairly or at the expense of others.

The expression is therefore common in discussions about politics, business and rising prices.

This is one of the few Spanish idioms that regularly appears in both restaurant conversations and economic news.

A family may say:

Nos pusimos las botas.

after a wonderful meal.

A newspaper columnist may write:

Las eléctricas se pusieron las botas.

after reporting record profits.

Exactly the same expression works naturally in both situations.

Do not translate the expression literally.

English speakers would never say:

We put our boots on at the restaurant.

Instead, translate the underlying idea:

• We had a feast.
• We ate like kings.
• They made a killing.
• They cashed in.

The correct translation depends entirely on the context.