leg-up
noun

- a helping hand, a boost

- an act of helping someone or something to improve their situation

- an act of helping someone to mount a horse or high object

Merriam-Webster, Cambridge Dictionary, Oxford Languages

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PHRASE ORIGIN

The phrase "leg up" has an interesting etymology that comes from the literal physical act of helping someone mount a horse or climb over something.

This original meaning dates back to at least the 16th century, referring to the practice of giving someone a boost by cupping your hands under their foot or leg to help them climb up onto a horse, over a fence, or onto some elevated surface. This was a common courtesy, especially when helping someone mount a horse.

The figurative meaning—giving someone an advantage, head start, or assistance in achieving something—developed naturally from this literal sense. If you gave someone a "leg up" onto a horse, you were helping them get started on their journey. By the 19th century, this metaphorical usage was well established, meaning to provide someone with an advantage or boost in their endeavours.

The phrase works nicely as a metaphor because it captures both the idea of assistance and forward momentum. Just as a physical leg up helps someone reach a higher position, a metaphorical leg up helps someone advance in their goals or circumstances.

Today, the literal meaning persists in equestrian contexts and similar situations, while the figurative meaning is commonly used in business, education, and general conversation to describe giving someone a helpful advantage or boost.

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EQUESTRIAN PHRASES

1. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth"
Don't be ungrateful or overly critical when receiving something free. Comes from the practice of checking a horse's teeth to determine its age and health—something you shouldn't do when receiving a horse as a gift.

2. "Hold your horses"
Be patient; slow down. Originates from the literal need to restrain eager horses before a race or when they're ready to bolt.

3. "Straight from the horse's mouth"
Information from the most reliable or direct source. Horse traders could determine a horse's age most accurately by examining its teeth, making the horse's mouth the most trustworthy source of information about the animal.

4. "Get back on the horse"
Resume an activity after a failure or setback. Refers to the advice given to riders who fall off—they should remount immediately to overcome fear and maintain confidence.

5. "Dark horse"
An unexpected competitor or candidate who emerges as a strong contender. Originally described racehorses whose abilities were kept secret to improve betting odds.

6. "Wild horses couldn't drag me away"
Nothing could make me leave or change my mind. References the extreme strength of wild horses and the idea that even their power couldn't force someone to abandon their position.

7. "Champing at the bit"
Eager to begin; impatient to start something. Describes how horses chew on their bits when excited or anxious to run, making a characteristic chomping sound.

8. "Flogging a dead horse"
Pursuing a futile effort; trying to revive something that's hopeless. No amount of whipping will make a dead horse move, just as some efforts are pointlessly wasteful.

9. "One-horse town"
A very small, insignificant place with limited activity or importance. Suggests a town so small it could only support one horse, implying minimal commerce or population.

10. "Horse of a different colour"
Something completely different from what was expected or previously discussed. May derive from the idea that changing the color of your horse changes everything about your situation or the deal at hand.

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SYNONYMS

a boost, a hand up, a helping hand, A LEG UP, a lift up, boost, come to someone's aid, encourage, extra push, give a boost, give a hand, give a hand up, give someone a head start, grease the wheels, jump-start, lend a hand, lend assistance, pave the way, pull strings, put in a good word