Which of these words refers to something made, distributed, or sold illegally?

The story behind the answer

Bootleg means produced, distributed, or sold illegally. The term comes from 19th-century smugglers who hid flasks in the leg of their boots; it became famous during U.S. Prohibition (1920–1933) when “bootleggers” supplied illegal alcohol. Today it applies to pirated movies, unauthorized music recordings, counterfeit goods, and illicit liquor.

Remember it by picturing a bottle tucked against a “boot leg”—contraband literally up the leg of a boot. By contrast, a bootblack shines shoes, a bootlace is a shoelace, and to bootstrap is to start something with minimal resources.