Kept his wits about?
<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="kept">kept</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="wits">wits</span> <span word="about">about</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span>: <span word="He">He</span> <span word="kept">kept</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="wits">wits</span> <span word="about">about</span>, <span word="Lumb">Lumb</span> <span word="lost">lost</span> <span word="his">his</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Wits">Wits</span>, <span word="plural">plural</span>, <span word="refer">refer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="one">one</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="mental">mental</span> <span word="sharpness">sharpness</span>, <span word="awareness">awareness</span>, <span word="composure">composure</span>, <span word="resourcefulness">resourcefulness</span>, <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="together">together</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="some">some</span>.</p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="wit">wit</span>, <span word="one">one</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="intelligence">intelligence</span> – <span word="one">one</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="cleverness">cleverness</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="perform">perform</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="under">under</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="situations">situations</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ability">ability</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="act">act</span> <span word="quickly">quickly</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="difficult">difficult</span> <span word="situation">situation</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="presence">presence</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="mind">mind</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="difference">difference</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="two">two</span> <span word="friends">friends</span> <span word="seem">seem</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span>, <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="someplace">someplace</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="amongst">amongst</span> <span word="strangers">strangers</span>. “<span word="He">He</span>” <span word="was">was</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="wits">wits</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="him">him</span>, <span word="whereas">whereas</span> <span word="Lumb">Lumb</span> <span word="seemed">seemed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="angry">angry</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="panicky">panicky</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lose">lose</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="composure">composure</span>.</p><p><span word="He">He</span> <span word="kept">kept</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="wits">wits</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="him">him</span>?</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="wits">wits</span> <span word="close">close</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="near">near</span> <span word="him">him</span>. “<span word="About">About</span>” <span word="here">here</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="about">about</span> “<span word="him">him</span>”. <span word="Here">Here</span>, “<span word="about">about</span>” <span word="means">means</span> <span word="round">round</span> <span word="about">about</span>, <span word="close">close</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="near">near</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="liken">liken</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="wits">wits</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="handbags">handbags</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="phones">phones</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="easy">easy</span> <span word="sense">sense</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="keeps">keeps</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="handbag">handbag</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="phone">phone</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="them">them</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="items">items</span> <span word="close">close</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="body">body</span>, <span word="somewhere">somewhere</span> <span word="within">within</span> <span word="easy">easy</span> <span word="reach">reach</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="need">need</span> <span word="them">them</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="readily">readily</span>, <span word="instantly">instantly</span>, <span word="without">without</span> <span word="delay">delay</span>.</p><p><span word="If">If</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="keeps">keeps</span> <span word="one">one</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="wits">wits</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="them">them</span>, <span word="hence">hence</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="remains">remains</span> <span word="close">close</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="lose">lose</span> <span word="them">them</span>.</p><p><span word="One">One</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="wits">wits</span>, <span word="like">like</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="handbags">handbags</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="phones">phones</span>, <span word="may">may</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="handy">handy</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="situations">situations</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="quick">quick</span> <span word="decision">decision</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="made">made</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="quarrel">quarrel</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="broken">broken</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="Lumb">Lumb</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="locals">locals</span>. <span word="Lumb">Lumb</span> <span word="lost">lost</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="wits">wits</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="acting">acting</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="irrational">irrational</span> <span word="manner">manner</span>. “<span word="He">He</span>” <span word="was">was</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="calm">calm</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="therefore">therefore</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="outnumbered">outnumbered</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="locals">locals</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="whom">whom</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="intend">intend</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="inflict">inflict</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="harm">harm</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="travellers">travellers</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="hand">hand</span>.</p>
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