Off the table?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="What">What</span> <span word="does">does</span> “<span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="table">table</span>” <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="following">following</span> <span word="passage">passage</span>?</p><p><span word="Alex">Alex</span> <span word="makes">makes</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="offer">offer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Bob">Bob</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="rejects">rejects</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="Later">Later</span>, <span word="Bob">Bob</span> <span word="changes">changes</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="mind">mind</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="decides">decides</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="offer">offer</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="Alex">Alex</span> <span word="refuses">refuses</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="extend">extend</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="offer">offer</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="second">second</span> <span word="time">time</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="table">table</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="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="longer">longer</span> <span word="there">there</span>. <span word="Having">Having</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="table">table</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="job">job</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="salary">salary</span> <span word="offer">offer</span>, <span word="whatever">whatever</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Alex">Alex</span> <span word="offered">offered</span> <span word="Bob">Bob</span>, <span word="was">was</span> <span word="removed">removed</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="longer">longer</span> <span word="available">available</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="Bob">Bob</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="elsewhere">elsewhere</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="talk">talk</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="else">else</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="job">job</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="salary">salary</span> <span word="package">package</span>, <span word="because">because</span> <span word="Alex">Alex</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="extend">extend</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="offer">offer</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="second">second</span> <span word="time">time</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="Bob">Bob</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="second">second</span> <span word="chance">chance</span>.</p><p><span word="Here">Here</span>, <span word="table">table</span> <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="negotiating">negotiating</span> <span word="table">table</span> – <span word="not">not</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dinner">dinner</span> <span word="table">table</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="certain">certain</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="originally">originally</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="table">table</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> “<span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="table">table</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="dining">dining</span> <span word="table">table</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="home">home</span>.</p><p><span word="You">You</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="imagine">imagine</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="following">following</span> <span word="scenario">scenario</span> <span word="happening">happening</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="between">between</span> <span word="mother">mother</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="child">child</span>, <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dinner">dinner</span> <span word="table">table</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="morning">morning</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="child">child</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="perhaps">perhaps</span> <span word="eaten">eaten</span> <span word="enough">enough</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="distracted">distracted</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="begins">begins</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="play">play</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="rather">rather</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="eat">eat</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="mother">mother</span> <span word="warns">warns</span> <span word="him">him</span>: “<span word="Stop">Stop</span> <span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="food">food</span>. <span word="Eat">Eat</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="away">away</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="table">table</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="eat">eat</span> <span word="until">until</span> <span word="lunch">lunch</span> <span word="time">time</span>.”</p><p><span word="OK">OK</span>, <span word="before">before</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="table">table</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="previously">previously</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="brought">brought</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="table">table</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="place">place</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="useful">useful</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="comes">comes</span> <span word="from">from</span> – <span word="to">to</span> <span word="bring">bring</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="table">table</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="represents">represents</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="contribution">contribution</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="form">form</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="effort">effort</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="joint">joint</span> <span word="venture">venture</span>.</p>
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