Slim pickings?
<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="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>, <span word="particularly">particularly</span> “<span word="slim">slim</span> <span word="pickings">pickings</span>”: <span word="For">For</span> <span word="fans">fans</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="spent">spent</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="tickets">tickets</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="major">major</span> <span word="concerts">concerts</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="events">events</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="slim">slim</span> <span word="pickings">pickings</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="tickets">tickets</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="round">round</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="ones">ones</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="fans">fans</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="mind">mind</span> <span word="paying">paying</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="courtside">courtside</span> <span word="seats">seats</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="seats">seats</span> <span word="close">close</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stage">stage</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="disappointed">disappointed</span>. <span word="Good">Good</span> <span word="tickets">tickets</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="between">between</span> – <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="by">by</span>.</p><p><span word="Slim">Slim</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="slim">slim</span> <span word="chance">chance</span>, <span word="means">means</span> <span word="slender">slender</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="thin">thin</span>. <span word="Pickings">Pickings</span> <span word="literally">literally</span> <span word="refer">refer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="pieces">pieces</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="picks">picks</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="picks">picks</span> <span word="up">up</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Slim">Slim</span> <span word="pickings">pickings</span>” <span word="as">as</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> “<span word="alludes">alludes</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="animals">animals</span> <span word="devouring">devouring</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="carcass">carcass</span>”, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="Heritage">Heritage</span> <span word="Dictionary">Dictionary</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Idiom">Idiom</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="dates">dates</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="early">early</span> 1600<span word="s">s</span>. <span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="usually">usually</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="meats">meats</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="carcass">carcass</span> <span word="after">after</span>, <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lions">lions</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="fill">fill</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="lions">lions</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="hunters">hunters</span>, <span word="kill">kill</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="zebra">zebra</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="eat">eat</span> <span word="first">first</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="done">done</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="meal">meal</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wolves">wolves</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="hyenas">hyenas</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="rushing">rushing</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="share">share</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pick">pick</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="eat">eat</span> <span word="what">what</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="left">left</span>. <span word="Slim">Slim</span> <span word="pickings">pickings</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="left">left</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="scraps">scraps</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="bits">bits</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="pieces">pieces</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="meat">meat</span> <span word="dangling">dangling</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="clinging">clinging</span> <span word="close">close</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bone">bone</span>. <span word="Odds">Odds</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ends">ends</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>.</p><p><span word="After">After</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wolves">wolves</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="hyenas">hyenas</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="done">done</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="vultures">vultures</span> <span word="who">who</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="circling">circling</span> <span word="overhead">overhead</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="swoop">swoop</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="feast">feast</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="sorts">sorts</span>. <span word="Now">Now</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="virtually">virtually</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="left">left</span>, <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="slimmest">slimmest</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="slim">slim</span> <span word="pickings">pickings</span>.</p>
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