Someone who is too big for their boots is unduly self-confident, self-important or conceited.
e.g. “We’ve always had a fondness for the underdog; we don’t like it when people get too big for their boots.”
An alternative version of this phrase is “too big for one’s breeches/britches (trousers).”
e.g. “It’s a risk that the corporate chiefs get too big for their breeches.”
“But one thing that can happen when a restaurant gets too big for its britches is that the quality of the food goes down.”
This idiom apparently dates from the 1800s and refers to someone being so swollen with conceit that their boots or trousers become too tight [1].
The phrase “big-headed” is used in a similar way to describe an arrogant person.
e.g. “In response to those decrying her as big-headed, she decided to start the hashtag #ImmodestWomen.”
[1] “too big for one's britches” in The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, by Christine Ammer. 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, 2013.
Photo credit: sketsman13
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