# Origin of "Bootleg"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bootleg/130176>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 30, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bootleg/130176 "2002-09-30T00:53:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bootleg/130176/1 "2002-09-30T00:53:15Z")

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What is the origin of the word “bootleg”? Does this have to do with hiding a tape recorder in your bootleg? Just a WAG…

- Jinx

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bootleg/130176/2 "2002-09-30T01:06:33Z")

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[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15679&highlight=bootleg](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15679&highlight=bootleg)

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**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bootleg/130176/3 "2002-09-30T01:08:07Z")

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Much older than tape recordings. [Here](http://www.nationmultimedia.com/edu/edu_back/020429/worldwide.shtml) is a cite.