BOOTLE

bootle, a municipal and county borough in the bootle parliamentary division of lancashire, england; at the mouth of the mersey, forming a northern suburb of liverpool. pop. (1901) 58,566; an increase by nearly nine times in forty years. the great docks on this, the east bank of the mersey, extend into the borough, but are considered as a whole under liverpool (q.v.). such features, moreover, as communications, water-supply, &c., may be considered as part of the greater systems of the same city. the chief buildings and institutions are a handsome town hall, a museum, free libraries, technical schools, and several public pleasure grounds. bootle was incorporated in 1868 and was created a county borough in 1888; the corporation consists of a mayor, 10 aldermen and 30 councillors. a proposal to include it within the city of liverpool was rejected in parliament in july 1903. area, 1576 acres. booty (apparently influenced by "boot," 0. eng. _bot_, advantage or profit, through an adaptation from an earlier form cognate with ger. _beute_ and fr. _butin_), plunder or gain. the phrase "to play booty," dating from the 16th century, means to play into a confederate's hands, or to play intentionally badly at first in order to deceive an opponent.