On the ropes?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="What">What</span> <span word="does">does</span> “<span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ropes">ropes</span>” (<span word="what">what</span> <span word="ropes">ropes</span>?) <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="following">following</span> <span word="passage">passage</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="story">story</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="gangster">gangster</span> <span word="Dutch">Dutch</span> <span word="Shultz">Shultz</span> (<span word="The">The</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="Mafia">Mafia</span>, <span word="Onewal">Onewal</span>.<span word="com">com</span>):</p><p><span word="Schultz">Schultz</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="surprisingly">surprisingly</span> <span word="successful">successful</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="court">court</span> <span word="battles">battles</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="deadlocked">deadlocked</span> <span word="jury">jury</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Syracuse">Syracuse</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="Aug">Aug</span>. 24, 1935, <span word="not">not</span>-<span word="guilty">guilty</span> <span word="verdict">verdict</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="town">town</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Malone">Malone</span>, <span word="NY">NY</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="Schultz">Schultz</span> <span word="threw">threw</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="advance">advance</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="trial">trial</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="appeared">appeared</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="gangster">gangster</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ropes">ropes</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="gangster">gangster</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="to">to</span> “<span word="have">have</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ropes">ropes</span>”, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="simply">simply</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="courts">courts</span> <span word="appeared">appeared</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="hopeless">hopeless</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="attempt">attempt</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="convict">convict</span> <span word="him">him</span>.</p><p>“<span word="On">On</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ropes">ropes</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="term">term</span> <span word="borrowed">borrowed</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="boxing">boxing</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="ropes">ropes</span> <span word="refer">refer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="ring">ring</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="canvas">canvas</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="raised">raised</span> <span word="square">square</span> <span word="stage">stage</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="boxers">boxers</span> <span word="fight">fight</span>. <span word="As">As</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="fight">fight</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="dance">dance</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="punch">punch</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="middle">middle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ring">ring</span>, <span word="avoiding">avoiding</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="corners">corners</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ropes">ropes</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="boxer">boxer</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="forced">forced</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="corner">corner</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="onto">onto</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ropes">ropes</span>, <span word="there">there</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="room">room</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="swing">swing</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="arms">arms</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="throw">throw</span> <span word="counter">counter</span> <span word="punches">punches</span>. <span word="Hence">Hence</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="forced">forced</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ropes">ropes</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="leads">leads</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="trouble">trouble</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="outright">outright</span> <span word="defeat">defeat</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="Muhammad">Muhammad</span> <span word="Ali">Ali</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="to">to</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="strategy">strategy</span>, <span word="deliberately">deliberately</span> <span word="lean">lean</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ropes">ropes</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="conserve">conserve</span> <span word="energy">energy</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="absorb">absorb</span> <span word="punches">punches</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="opponent">opponent</span> (<span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="opponent">opponent</span> <span word="tire">tire</span> <span word="himself">himself</span> <span word="out">out</span>). <span word="A">A</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="dangerous">dangerous</span> <span word="tactic">tactic</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="sure">sure</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="Ali">Ali</span>, <span word="arguably">arguably</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="greatest">greatest</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="used">used</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dire">dire</span>-<span word="most">most</span> <span word="circumstances">circumstances</span>. <span word="Therefore">Therefore</span>, <span word="using">using</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ropes">ropes</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="strategy">strategy</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="exception">exception</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rule">rule</span>. <span word="As">As</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="rule">rule</span>, <span word="avoid">avoid</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ropes">ropes</span>.</p>
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