Out on a limb?
<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="passage">passage</span>, “<span word="out">out</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="limb">limb</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="particular">particular</span>:</p><p><span word="No">No</span> <span word="sitting">sitting</span> <span word="Democratic">Democratic</span> <span word="senator">senator</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="lost">lost</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span> <span word="State">State</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="wouldn">wouldn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="limb">limb</span> <span word="predicting">predicting</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="m">m</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="there">there</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="scenario">scenario</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="unfold">unfold</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p>“<span word="I">I</span>” <span word="think">think</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="current">current</span> <span word="Democratic">Democratic</span> <span word="senator">senator</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span> <span word="State">State</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="lose">lose</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="seat">seat</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="hunch">hunch</span>. “<span word="I">I</span>” <span word="am">am</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="prediction">prediction</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="risky">risky</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="prediction">prediction</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="no">no</span> <span word="sitting">sitting</span> <span word="Democratic">Democratic</span> <span word="senator">senator</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="lost">lost</span> <span word="before">before</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="happen">happen</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="but">but</span> “<span word="I">I</span>” <span word="am">am</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="happen">happen</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="definite">definite</span> <span word="prediction">prediction</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="dangling">dangling</span> <span word="oneself">oneself</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="limb">limb</span> – <span word="that">that</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="risky">risky</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Out">Out</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="limb">limb</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="typical">typical</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="one">one</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="limb">limb</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="guessed">guessed</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="now">now</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="branch">branch</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tree">tree</span>. <span word="Why">Why</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="anyone">anyone</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="there">there</span>? <span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="because">because</span> <span word="there">there</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="hanging">hanging</span> <span word="fruit">fruit</span> <span word="there">there</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span>, <span word="no">no</span> <span word="doubt">doubt</span>, <span word="was">was</span> <span word="derived">derived</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="observing">observing</span> <span word="fruit">fruit</span> <span word="gatherers">gatherers</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="work">work</span>. <span word="Gathering">Gathering</span> <span word="apples">apples</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="instance">instance</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="low">low</span>-<span word="hanging">hanging</span> <span word="fruit">fruit</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ones">ones</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="hanging">hanging</span> <span word="low">low</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="therefore">therefore</span> <span word="within">within</span> <span word="easy">easy</span> <span word="reach">reach</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="low">low</span>-<span word="hanging">hanging</span> <span word="fruits">fruits</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="plucked">plucked</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="move">move</span> <span word="further">further</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="outstretching">outstretching</span> <span word="branches">branches</span> (<span word="limbs">limbs</span>). <span word="The">The</span> <span word="far">far</span>-<span word="reaching">reaching</span> <span word="branches">branches</span> <span word="are">are</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="imagine">imagine</span>, <span word="long">long</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="thin">thin</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="therefore">therefore</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="easy">easy</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="break">break</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="climb">climb</span> <span word="closer">closer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fruit">fruit</span>.</p>
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