pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps

Questions

What does pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps mean?

present participle and gerund of pull oneself up by one's bootstraps

How to pronounce pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pulling oneself up by one's 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 “pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps”.
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