Illegally making, distributing, or selling something that is banned or restricted by law, especially alcohol during Prohibition; also copying and selling unauthorized versions of music or entertainment.
From 'boot' (a tall shoe) + 'leg,' because smugglers of illegal alcohol hid bottles in their boot legs. Became famous during American Prohibition (1920-1933) when it was a huge underground industry.
Bootleggers during Prohibition accidentally created organized crime syndicates that became so powerful they dominated American politics for decades—all because the government tried to ban alcohol, showing how prohibition often creates the opposite of what it intends.
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