Cower in his boots

[Mike Hussey]

Sitting with George, Dave Moss speaks about Indians in sales man job:

Guys come in - blah, blah, blah. "I'll go and rob everybody blind and go to Argentina, cos nobody thought of this before." They kill the goose. A f*cking man's worked all his life, he's gotta…Cower in his boots.

What does "Cower in his boots" mean?

It means he's terrified? "Cowering in his boots" is just an expression for terrified?

Source: Glengarry Glen Ross (a 1992 American drama film adapted by David Mamet from his 1984 Pulitzer Prize–winning play of the same name, and directed by James Foley)

 

[GoesStation]

Yes.

 

[Tdol]

There are variations like shaking/quaking in his/her boots.

 

[GoesStation]

There are variations like shaking/quaking in his/her boots.

I say shaking.

 

[Rover_KE]

I say 'shaking in my shoes' — I like the alliteration.

 

[Tdol]

Cowering was new to me, but it exists. Cowards can shake and quake in many ways. Shoes are also new to me- we shook in our boots where I grew up, though none of us could afford shoes, we were lucky to have cardboard...

 

[GoesStation]

You had cardboard!? Luxury!

 

[jutfrank]

we were lucky to have cardboard...

Cardboard? We would only dream of having cardboard shoes. Mum used to wrap bits of used sandpaper round our feet.

 

[GoesStation]

Cardboard? We would only dream of having cardboard shoes. Mum used to wrap bits of used sandpaper round our feet.

It makes you wonder if the kids on the posh side of town got new sandpaper.