Pulling out all the stops?
<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="pulled">pulled</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stops">stops</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: <span word="The">The</span> <span word="latest">latest</span> “<span word="Transformers">Transformers</span>” <span word="movie">movie</span> <span word="pulled">pulled</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stops">stops</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="appeal">appeal</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="audience">audience</span>, <span word="illustrating">illustrating</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="crucial">crucial</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Hollywood">Hollywood</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="fortunes">fortunes</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="just">just</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="producers">producers</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Transformers">Transformers</span> <span word="movie">movie</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="everything">everything</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="incorporate">incorporate</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="so">so</span>-<span word="called">called</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="elements">elements</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="movie">movie</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="viewers">viewers</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="identify">identify</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="and">and</span>, <span word="hopefully">hopefully</span>, <span word="come">come</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="again">again</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="again">again</span>.</p><p><span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="elements">elements</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="instance">instance</span> (<span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="case">case</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span>), <span word="letting">letting</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="actors">actors</span> <span word="play">play</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="roles">roles</span> (<span word="house">house</span> <span word="maids">maids</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>), <span word="letting">letting</span> <span word="gangsters">gangsters</span> <span word="speak">speak</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Cantonese">Cantonese</span>, <span word="etc">etc</span>. <span word="and">and</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="forth">forth</span>.</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="case">case</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="movies">movies</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span>. <span word="Nowadays">Nowadays</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="allowing">allowing</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="actors">actors</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="play">play</span> <span word="leading">leading</span> <span word="rolls">rolls</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="that">that</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="re">re</span> <span word="doing">doing</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="appeal">appeal</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="viewers">viewers</span> – <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span>, <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="eventually">eventually</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="viewers">viewers</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="fill">fill</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cinemas">cinemas</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="thus">thus</span> <span word="putting">putting</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="collective">collective</span> <span word="pocket">pocket</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Hollywood">Hollywood</span>.</p><p><span word="Bottom">Bottom</span> <span word="line">line</span>? <span word="Box">Box</span> <span word="office">office</span>. <span word="Money">Money</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="profit">profit</span>.</p><p><span word="All">All</span> <span word="right">right</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="Hollywood">Hollywood</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="that">that</span>. <span word="Now">Now</span> <span word="let">let</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="examine">examine</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> “<span word="pulling">pulling</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stops">stops</span>” <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bit">bit</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="closely">closely</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="hears">hears</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="ignore">ignore</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="originally">originally</span>. <span word="I">I</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="one">one</span>, <span word="never">never</span> <span word="paid">paid</span> <span word="attention">attention</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="before">before</span>.</p>
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