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  What it means

  Literally “barefoot, but with spurs.” Describes someone who is poor but puts on airs — maintaining the appearance of status or importance despite having nothing to back it up.

  Vocabulary

  • boso — barefoot
  • ostrogi — spurs (plural)

  Grammar note

  'W ostrogach' uses the locative plural of 'ostroga' after 'w.' The contrast between barefoot poverty and the prestige of spurs (a knight's symbol) is the whole point.

  Cultural context

  Spurs were a mark of knightly rank in old Poland. The image of someone too poor for shoes but still wearing spurs perfectly captures pretentious poverty.

  Intermediate

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