Jack booted

a jackbooted thug

For, as the mighty cavalcades approach / Periwigg’d, Jackbooted, to announce the coach; / A thousand lamps spontaneously appear, / Through the long vista—visitors to cheer.— [...]

[T]he four stallions that drew us kicked, plunged, snorted, and screamed, in full concert with the eternal smack of the whips, as well as shrieks, whoops, and oaths of the jackbooted postillions, lugging about out little barouche in a manner that threatened its demolition at every instant.

The synod of the Russian Church is presided over by a jackbooted general, armed with an unlimited veto and full power of prorogation. Of course such a Church is but a tool to assist political objects, to give a colour of right to political intrigue, to stir up religious enthusiasm in favour of acts of piracy and unlawful war.

He loved to see him in review uniform—so much more delightful than plain khaki—pale blue, white, and gold, in full panoply of accoutrement, jackbooted and spurred, and with the great turban that made his English face look more English still.

She seemed to feel silent, jack-booted watchers standing outside frightened houses, figures kneeling to scrub the pavements, children coldly excluded from their familiar playgrounds, the informer's whisper in the café, fear and suspicion like rheumatism fastening upon the easy intercourse of friends—all the vicious little tricks of modern tyranny.

In the departure zone he rasped at Lufthansa officials in what seemed very theatrical German. So might he have acted some cardboard jackbooted Prussian in an end-of-term comedy at Hyderabad House near Bridport.

The house floated with tears and terror and uncontainable fury and music that made children dream of the jackbooted intruders who lit their way with torches made of Jewish hair.