A long shot?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p>“<span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="shot">shot</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="shot">shot</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="had">had</span>.” <span word="What">What</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="a">a</span> “<span word="long">long</span> <span word="shot">shot</span>” <span word="mean">mean</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="course">course</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="action">action</span> (<span word="whatever">whatever</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span>) <span word="they">they</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="success">success</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="deemed">deemed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="had">had</span> – <span word="and">and</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="action">action</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="took">took</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="though">though</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="knew">knew</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="odds">odds</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="shot">shot</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="literally">literally</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="shot">shot</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="distance">distance</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="shot">shot</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="shot">shot</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="shoot">shoot</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="rifle">rifle</span>, <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="shot">shot</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="shoot">shoot</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="basketball">basketball</span>, <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="shot">shot</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="swing">swing</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="golf">golf</span> <span word="club">club</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="golf">golf</span> <span word="ball">ball</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="shot">shot</span>.</p><p><span word="Take">Take</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="golf">golf</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>. <span word="Obviously">Obviously</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="shorter">shorter</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="distance">distance</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="greater">greater</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="hitting">hitting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="rolling">rolling</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hole">hole</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ground">ground</span>.</p><p><span word="Likewise">Likewise</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="greater">greater</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="distance">distance</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="basket">basket</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="are">are</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="greater">greater</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="shot">shot</span> <span word="missing">missing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rim">rim</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="actual">actual</span> <span word="shooting">shooting</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="rifle">rifle</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="also">also</span> – <span word="the">the</span> <span word="farther">farther</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="target">target</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="likelier">likelier</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="miss">miss</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mark">mark</span>.</p><p><span word="Hence">Hence</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="shot">shot</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="unlikely">unlikely</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="succeed">succeed</span>.</p><p><span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="win">win</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="election">election</span> <span word="race">race</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="shot">shot</span>, <span word="however">however</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="win">win</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="margin">margin</span>, <span word="leaving">leaving</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="opponents">opponents</span> <span word="trailing">trailing</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="distance">distance</span>.</p><p><span word="Conversely">Conversely</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="won">won</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="win">win</span>, <span word="and">and</span> “<span word="not">not</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="shot">shot</span>”, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="emphasize">emphasize</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="won">won</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="win">win</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="all">all</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="your">your</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="success">success</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="smaller">smaller</span> <span word="than">than</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="golf">golf</span> <span word="analogy">analogy</span>, <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="hitting">hitting</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="hole">hole</span>-<span word="in">in</span>-<span word="one">one</span>.</p>
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