lifted oneself up by one's own bootstraps

Questions

What does lifted oneself up by one's own bootstraps mean?

simple past and past participle of lift oneself up by one's own bootstraps

How to pronounce lifted oneself up by one's own bootstraps

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “lifted oneself up by one's own bootstraps”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “lifted oneself up by one's own bootstraps”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “lifted oneself up by one's own bootstraps” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.