Meeting them half way?
<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="meet">meet</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="half">half</span> <span word="way">way</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: <span word="If">If</span> <span word="Republicans">Republicans</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="Obama">Obama</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="meet">meet</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="half">half</span> <span word="way">way</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="wasting">wasting</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="time">time</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="President">President</span> <span word="Barack">Barack</span> <span word="Obama">Obama</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Democrat">Democrat</span>, <span word="will">will</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="seek">seek</span> <span word="compromise">compromise</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="Republicans">Republicans</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="Obamacare">Obamacare</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="policy">policy</span> <span word="issue">issue</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="focus">focus</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="anyway">anyway</span>. <span word="Here">Here</span>, <span word="let">let</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="talk">talk</span> <span word="about">about</span> “<span word="meeting">meeting</span> <span word="somebody">somebody</span> <span word="half">half</span> <span word="way">way</span>”, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span>’<span word="m">m</span> <span word="pretty">pretty</span> <span word="sure">sure</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span>, <span word="judging">judging</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="simplicity">simplicity</span>.</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, <span word="say">say</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="friend">friend</span> <span word="lives">lives</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="street">street</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="making">making</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="appoint">appoint</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="meet">meet</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="lunch">lunch</span> <span word="somewhere">somewhere</span> <span word="else">else</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="town">town</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="decide">decide</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="meet">meet</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="half">half</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="street">street</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="lunch">lunch</span> <span word="together">together</span>.</p><p><span word="Half">Half</span> <span word="way">way</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="case">case</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="literally">literally</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="middle">middle</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="friend">friend</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="business">business</span>. <span word="For">For</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="private">private</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="invests">invests</span> 20 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="yuan">yuan</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="ease">ease</span> <span word="air">air</span> <span word="pollution">pollution</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="politician">politician</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="meet">meet</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="halfway">halfway</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="spent">spent</span> 20 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="yuan">yuan</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="joint">joint</span> <span word="venture">venture</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="amount">amount</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="politician">politician</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span> <span word="figuratively">figuratively</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="politician">politician</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="literally">literally</span> – <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pro">pro</span> <span word="pol">pol</span> <span word="talks">talks</span> <span word="politics">politics</span>.</p><p><span word="Politically">Politically</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="exact">exact</span> <span word="middle">middle</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="seek">seek</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="reach">reach</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="case">case</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="willingness">willingness</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="meet">meet</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="opponent">opponent</span> <span word="half">half</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="simply">simply</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="willing">willing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="negotiate">negotiate</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="compromises">compromises</span>.</p>
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