Bet the farm?
<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="bet">bet</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="farm">farm</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: <span word="However">However</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="bet">bet</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="farm">farm</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="housing">housing</span> <span word="market">market</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="up">up</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Here">Here</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span> <span word="isn">isn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="sure">sure</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="housing">housing</span> <span word="prices">prices</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="up">up</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="sure">sure</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="betting">betting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="farm">farm</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="that">that</span>.</p><p><span word="Betting">Betting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="farm">farm</span>?</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="homespun">homespun</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="indeed">indeed</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="invented">invented</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="inspired">inspired</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="farmers">farmers</span>, <span word="judging">judging</span> <span word="purely">purely</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="down">down</span>-<span word="to">to</span>-<span word="earth">earth</span> <span word="plainness">plainness</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="simplicity">simplicity</span>, <span word="along">along</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="unmistakable">unmistakable</span> <span word="foolhardiness">foolhardiness</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="play">play</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="betting">betting</span> <span word="game">game</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="tend">tend</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="bet">bet</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="sum">sum</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="unsure">unsure</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="sure">sure</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bigger">bigger</span> <span word="bet">bet</span>. <span word="Human">Human</span> <span word="nature">nature</span>.</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="farmers">farmers</span> <span word="play">play</span>, <span word="more">more</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="happens">happens</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="unsure">unsure</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="put">put</span>, <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="two">two</span> <span word="cents">cents</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span> “<span word="for">for</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="cents">cents</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="bet">bet</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="housing">housing</span> <span word="market">market</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="collapse">collapse</span> <span word="within">within</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="week">week</span>.”</p><p><span word="Clearly">Clearly</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="talking">talking</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="here">here</span>.</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="certain">certain</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="something">something</span>, <span word="however">however</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="bolder">bolder</span>. <span word="They">They</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="raise">raise</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stake">stake</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ante">ante</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="others">others</span> <span word="say">say</span>. <span word="For">For</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="bet">bet</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="chicken">chicken</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="chickens">chickens</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="backyard">backyard</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="rain">rain</span> <span word="tomorrow">tomorrow</span>.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="sure">sure</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="something">something</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="crazy">crazy</span>, <span word="like">like</span>, <span word="betting">betting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="family">family</span> <span word="live">live</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="farm">farm</span>, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="whole">whole</span> <span word="farm">farm</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="own">own</span>.</p>
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