學會一個習語最好是在一個過目不忘的語境中。今天外網上一篇報導有點意思。說是紐西蘭一地方議會建議把貓逐步趕盡殺絕，於是用一個習語寫出一個吸睛的標題 Puss gets the boot。但細看正文的長標題卻是New Zealand council proposes banning all cats。於是，你至少八九不離十地懂這個習語的意思了。貓在紐西蘭屬外來物種，因有愛攻擊本土禽類的傾向而引人反感。
get the boot, 也可以說成be given the boot，具有被動色彩，to be fired, to have one's romantic partner end the relationship with one; to be broken up with.
1.She was a disruptive influence, and after a year or two she got the boot. 她具有破壞性影響，過了一兩年，她就卷被子走人。
2.I'm going to get the boot if the boss finds out that printing error was my fault.老闆要是發現列印錯誤是我的原因，我就會被炒掉了。
3.He didn't get the boot—their break-up was mutual. 他不是被女友甩的，他們關係破裂是相互造成的。
put the boot in，這一個習語也是非正式用語， 具有主動色彩。本來是指橄欖球做危險動作，在對方已倒地後再踢人一腳，採取不必要的殘酷行為，現義指變本加厲，相當於to add insult to injury，或採取果斷行動。attack another person by saying something cruel, often when the person is already feeling weak or upset.
Security footage showed the three teenagers knocking a man to the ground and putting the boot in for nearly 20 minutes. 治安視頻顯示這三個少年把一個男人打倒在地，反覆踢了他將近20分鐘。2.The star player's ban from the match really put the boot in for fans who were already suffering from a humiliating defeat. 球迷們本已由於一場令人羞辱的失敗而傷心，這名球星的禁賽實在讓他們感到傷口撒鹽。3. She was upset about losing her job and then her sister started putting the boot in, telling her she was lazy. 她失去工作已煩透了，姐姐還雪上加霜，稱她是懶蟲。