Scratching the surface?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p>“<span word="This">This</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="lady">lady</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="merely">merely</span> <span word="scratching">scratching</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="surface">surface</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="abilities">abilities</span>.” <span word="What">What</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span> <span word="commends">commends</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="woman">woman</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="ability">ability</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="play">play</span>, <span word="while">while</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="suggesting">suggesting</span> <span word="she">she</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="future">future</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Scratching">Scratching</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="surface">surface</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="grasp">grasp</span> <span word="here">here</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="believe">believe</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="one">one</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="learn">learn</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="together">together</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="one">one</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> “<span word="scratch">scratch</span> <span word="below">below</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="surface">surface</span>.”</p><p><span word="Literally">Literally</span>, <span word="to">to</span> “<span word="scratch">scratch</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="surface">surface</span>” <span word="of">of</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="brush">brush</span>, <span word="rub">rub</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="claw">claw</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="surface">surface</span>, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="figuratively">figuratively</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="deal">deal</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="superficial">superficial</span> <span word="level">level</span>. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="scratch">scratch</span> <span word="below">below</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="surface">surface</span>, <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="hand">hand</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="discover">discover</span> <span word="what">what</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="inside">inside</span>, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="to">to</span> <span word="delve">delve</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="subject">subject</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nitty">nitty</span>-<span word="gritty">gritty</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="News">News</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="brief">brief</span>, <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="kind">kind</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="scratching">scratching</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="surface">surface</span>. <span word="Investigative">Investigative</span> <span word="reporting">reporting</span>, <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="hand">hand</span>, <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="like">like</span>, <span word="scratching">scratching</span> <span word="below">below</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="surface">surface</span>.</p><p><span word="You">You</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="easily">easily</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="inspired">inspired</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="archaeologists">archaeologists</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="dig">dig</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="fossils">fossils</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="uncover">uncover</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="graves">graves</span>. <span word="At">At</span> <span word="first">first</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="scratch">scratch</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="surface">surface</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="earth">earth</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="piece">piece</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="rock">rock</span>, <span word="carefully">carefully</span> <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="signs">signs</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="relic">relic</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="there">there</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="exploring">exploring</span> <span word="further">further</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="scratch">scratch</span> <span word="below">below</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="surface">surface</span>.</p><p><span word="Alright">Alright</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lady">lady</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="upcoming">upcoming</span>. <span word="She">She</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="shown">shown</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="bit">bit</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="skills">skills</span>. <span word="Give">Give</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="grow">grow</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="she">she</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="prove">prove</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="player">player</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="scratch">scratch</span> <span word="below">below</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="surface">surface</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="we">we</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="huge">huge</span> <span word="potential">potential</span>.</p>
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