"Real leather uppers" My father used to use this saying to describe something of quality and substance. Akin to " the bees knees. Can anyone explain what it means and if it's a common saying anywhere?
-
1Welcome to EL&U. Please note that this is not a discussion forum, but a Q&A site with firm guidelines about topicality and format. Please take the site tour and review the help center; as currently formatted, your question is not well-suited to our format.– chosterCommented Oct 6, 2016 at 17:34
-
What is it you want to know about this phrase?– DJClayworthCommented Oct 6, 2016 at 18:45
-
@DJClayworth I gues we are being asked if we have heard it. As it happens I haven't but if I did I would recognise its meaning, and its being quintessentially British in its style. Though the person concerned may not be British, for all I know.– WS2Commented Oct 6, 2016 at 19:01
-
@WS2 My point to the OP was that "Has anyone heard of this?" is an off-topic question (because the answer is unquestionably "Yes, someone somewhere has heard of it"). The OP would need to edit the question to be something that we can actually answer.– DJClayworthCommented Oct 6, 2016 at 19:03
-
@DJClayworth Had he worded his question as: Please could someone explain whether this is a well-known metaphor, or whether it was peculiar to one individual, would it have met the rules?– WS2Commented Oct 6, 2016 at 20:01
|
Show 2 more comments
1 Answer
The "upper" is the upper part of a shoe (above sole). "Real leather" distinguishes leather shoes from those made with "patent" leather (=vinyl) or another lower-quality material – hence your father using it to describe something of the highest quality.
