Have a leg up?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span> – <span word="These">These</span> <span word="schools">schools</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="leg">leg</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="start">start</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="recruiting">recruiting</span> – <span word="what">what</span> <span word="does">does</span> “<span word="leg">leg</span> <span word="up">up</span>” <span word="mean">mean</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="leg">leg</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="advantage">advantage</span>.</p><p><span word="Supposing">Supposing</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="debate">debate</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="universities">universities</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="supposing">supposing</span> “<span word="these">these</span> <span word="schools">schools</span>” <span word="referred">referred</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Oxford">Oxford</span>, <span word="Harvard">Harvard</span> <span word="or">or</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="matter">matter</span>, <span word="Beida">Beida</span>, <span word="an">an</span> <span word="argument">argument</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="schools">schools</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="produce">produce</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="graduates">graduates</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="enroll">enroll</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="brightest">brightest</span> <span word="students">students</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="begin">begin</span> <span word="with">with</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="simplistic">simplistic</span> <span word="view">view</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fact">fact</span> <span word="remains">remains</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="schools">schools</span> <span word="routinely">routinely</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="students">students</span>. <span word="Hence">Hence</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="statement">statement</span>: “<span word="These">These</span> <span word="schools">schools</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="leg">leg</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="start">start</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="recruiting">recruiting</span>.”</p><p>“<span word="Leg">Leg</span> <span word="up">up</span>” <span word="originally">originally</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="helping">helping</span> <span word="hand">hand</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="inspired">inspired</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="watching">watching</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="helping">helping</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="mount">mount</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="horse">horse</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="rider">rider</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="seen">seen</span> <span word="taking">taking</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="step">step</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="stool">stool</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="climbing">climbing</span> <span word="onto">onto</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="horse">horse</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="back">back</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="stool">stool</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="available">available</span>, <span word="however">however</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rider">rider</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="sometimes">sometimes</span> <span word="seen">seen</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="step">step</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="locked">locked</span> <span word="hands">hands</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="assistant">assistant</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="two">two</span> – <span word="using">using</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="locked">locked</span> <span word="hands">hands</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="stool">stool</span> – <span word="to">to</span> <span word="climb">climb</span> <span word="up">up</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="doing">doing</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="assistance">assistance</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="enables">enables</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="a">a</span> “<span word="leg">leg</span> <span word="up">up</span>” – <span word="and">and</span> <span word="obviously">obviously</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="mount">mount</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="getting">getting</span> <span word="a">a</span> “<span word="leg">leg</span> <span word="up">up</span>” <span word="first">first</span>. <span word="Hence">Hence</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> “<span word="leg">leg</span> <span word="up">up</span>”, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="assistance">assistance</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="an">an</span> <span word="upper">upper</span> <span word="hand">hand</span>.</p>
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