Rock bottom?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="rock">rock</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="passage">passage</span> (<span word="Rockets">Rockets</span> <span word="seek">seek</span> <span word="recommitment">recommitment</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="defensive">defensive</span> <span word="ideals">ideals</span>, <span word="Houston">Houston</span> <span word="Chronicle">Chronicle</span>, <span word="January">January</span> 16, 2010):</p><p>“<span word="Hopefully">Hopefully</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="use">use</span> (<span word="Friday">Friday</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="loss">loss</span>) <span word="as">as</span> <span word="rock">rock</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span>,” <span word="forward">forward</span> <span word="Luis">Luis</span> <span word="Scola">Scola</span> <span word="said">said</span>. “<span word="I">I</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="bad">bad</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="rock">rock</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="bounce">bounce</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="like">like</span> 20 <span word="games">games</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>.”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Rock">Rock</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lowest">lowest</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="possible">possible</span>. <span word="Here">Here</span> <span word="Scola">Scola</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="member">member</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Houston">Houston</span> <span word="Rockets">Rockets</span> <span word="basketball">basketball</span> <span word="team">team</span>, <span word="sees">sees</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="team">team</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="performance">performance</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="latest">latest</span> <span word="loss">loss</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="worst">worst</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="expects">expects</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="improve">improve</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Rock">Rock</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="dating">dating</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="to">to</span> 1865–70 (<span word="Random">Random</span> <span word="House">House</span> <span word="Dictionary">Dictionary</span>) <span word="and">and</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="referring">referring</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="layer">layer</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="rock">rock</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="something">something</span>, <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="inspecting">inspecting</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="dig">dig</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="water">water</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="rock">rock</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bedrock">bedrock</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="further">further</span>.</p><p><span word="Hence">Hence</span> <span word="metaphorically">metaphorically</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="hits">hits</span> <span word="rock">rock</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="reaches">reaches</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lowest">lowest</span> <span word="level">level</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="today">today</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> “<span word="rock">rock</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="price">price</span>”, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lowest">lowest</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="commodity">commodity</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="saw">saw</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sign">sign</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="shop">shop</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="corner">corner</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="street">street</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="live">live</span> <span word="reading">reading</span> – “<span word="Rock">Rock</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="prices">prices</span>, <span word="lowest">lowest</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="city">city</span>.” <span word="There">There</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="loudspeaker">loudspeaker</span> <span word="blaring">blaring</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="pre">pre</span>-<span word="recorded">recorded</span> <span word="messages">messages</span>, <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span>: “<span word="tearful">tearful</span> <span word="clearance">clearance</span>”, “<span word="shop">shop</span> <span word="relocating">relocating</span>”, “<span word="dirt">dirt</span> <span word="cheap">cheap</span> <span word="giveaway">giveaway</span>”.</p>
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