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Mon 12 May, 2014 03:36 am
with the dust of Downing street on his boots, what does this mean?
@avalipeng,
he walking on that street and got dust on his boots
Downing Street is the location of the official residence of the Prime Minister of Great Britain. But you have not provided sufficient context to know what the author is attempting to imply. I suspect this is a reference to politics.
@avalipeng,
It is likely to refer to a person who was recently in the British Government government (cabinet ministers meet in Downing Street) but has since moved to another situation/occupation.
@avalipeng,
it seems like the writer is trying to use a variant of an English-language idiom
shake the dust off your feet / shake the dust off your shoes
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Glossary_of_idioms_%E2%80%93_S
Quote:Make a clean break from a (bad) former situation. Derived from the gospel of S. Matthew, ch. 10 v. 14: "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaking_the_dust_from_the_feet
the full context would help but it could mean that the person has left Downing Street and their experience there completely
@avalipeng,
Quote:with the dust of Downing street on his boots, what does this mean?
Probably that he has recently left high office in the British government, probably the post of Prime Minister.
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