Low-hanging fruit?
<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="low">low</span>-<span word="hanging">hanging</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="headline">headline</span>: “<span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="economy">economy</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="run">run</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> ‘<span word="low">low</span>-<span word="hanging">hanging</span> <span word="fruit">fruit</span>’: <span word="Economist">Economist</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="an">an</span> <span word="economist">economist</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="quoted">quoted</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="economy">economy</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="run">run</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="easy">easy</span> <span word="solutions">solutions</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="quick">quick</span> <span word="fixes">fixes</span>.</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="rate">rate</span>, <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="economist">economist</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="by">by</span> “<span word="low">low</span>-<span word="hanging">hanging</span> <span word="fruit">fruit</span>”.</p><p><span word="Low">Low</span>-<span word="hanging">hanging</span> <span word="fruit">fruit</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="refer">refer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="apples">apples</span>, <span word="pears">pears</span>, <span word="oranges">oranges</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="fruit">fruit</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="hang">hang</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lowest">lowest</span> <span word="branches">branches</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="trees">trees</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="low">low</span>-<span word="hanging">hanging</span> <span word="fruit">fruit</span> <span word="are">are</span>, <span word="needless">needless</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="easiest">easiest</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="pick">pick</span>. <span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="within">within</span> <span word="reach">reach</span>, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="reach">reach</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="hand">hand</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="having">having</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="stand">stand</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="tiptoe">tiptoe</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="having">having</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="jump">jump</span> <span word="up">up</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="step">step</span> <span word="ladder">ladder</span>.</p><p><span word="Nor">Nor</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="climb">climb</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tree">tree</span>, <span word="let">let</span> <span word="alone">alone</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="limb">limb</span>.</p><p><span word="Going">Going</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="limb">limb</span>?</p><p><span word="Yeah">Yeah</span>, <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="descriptive">descriptive</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="clime">clime</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="reaching">reaching</span> <span word="branch">branch</span> (<span word="limb">limb</span>) <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="grab">grab</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fruit">fruit</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="branch">branch</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="thin">thin</span> <span word="and">and</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="result">result</span>, <span word="dangerous">dangerous</span> – <span word="one">one</span> <span word="risks">risks</span> <span word="falling">falling</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tree">tree</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="consequence">consequence</span>.</p><p><span word="Hence">Hence</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="therefore">therefore</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="accident">accident</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="whether">whether</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="apple">apple</span> <span word="gathering">gathering</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="problem">problem</span> <span word="solving">solving</span>, <span word="people">people</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="low">low</span>-<span word="hanging">hanging</span> <span word="fruit">fruit</span> <span word="first">first</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="aim">aim</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="easiest">easiest</span> <span word="targets">targets</span>, <span word="getting">getting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="easiest">easiest</span> <span word="jobs">jobs</span> <span word="done">done</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="taking">taking</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="tougher">tougher</span> <span word="tasks">tasks</span>.</p>
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