Kick the tires?
<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="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: <span word="They">They</span> <span word="kicked">kicked</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tires">tires</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="business">business</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="paid">paid</span> <span word="off">off</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Tires">Tires</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="spelling">spelling</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="tyres">tyres</span>….</p><p><span word="Oh">Oh</span>, <span word="tyres">tyres</span>, <span word="tyres">tyres</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wheels">wheels</span>.</p><p><span word="Why">Why</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="kick">kick</span> <span word="them">them</span>, <span word="then">then</span>?</p><p><span word="People">People</span> <span word="kick">kick</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tires">tires</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="tyres">tyres</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="condition">condition</span>.</p><p><span word="Nobody">Nobody</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="more">more</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="days">days</span>, <span word="say">say</span> 100 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="automobiles">automobiles</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="beginning">beginning</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="mass">mass</span>-<span word="produced">produced</span>, <span word="tyres">tyres</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="tires">tires</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="understandably">understandably</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="poorer">poorer</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="quality">quality</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="today">today</span>.</p><p><span word="OK">OK</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="Before">Before</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="started">started</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="vehicle">vehicle</span>, <span word="many">many</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="kick">kick</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="wheels">wheels</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tires">tires</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="inflated">inflated</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="workable">workable</span> <span word="condition">condition</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="practice">practice</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> “<span word="kicking">kicking</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tires">tires</span>” <span word="made">made</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="mainstream">mainstream</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="language">language</span> – <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="doing">doing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="normal">normal</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="necessary">necessary</span> <span word="check">check</span>-<span word="ups">ups</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="endeavor">endeavor</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="example">example</span> <span word="above">above</span>, <span word="those">those</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="started">started</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="brand">brand</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="business">business</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="consequence">consequence</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="entrepreneurs">entrepreneurs</span> <span word="started">started</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="careful">careful</span> <span word="preparation">preparation</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="succeeded">succeeded</span>.</p><p><span word="So">So</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="short">short</span>, <span word="next">next</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="kicking">kicking</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tires">tires</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="something">something</span> (<span word="or">or</span> <span word="someone">someone</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="matter">matter</span>), <span word="you">you</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="evaluating">evaluating</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="taking">taking</span> <span word="further">further</span> <span word="action">action</span>.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="media">media</span> <span word="examples">examples</span>:</p><p>1. <span word="As">As</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="owners">owners</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="TVGuide">TVGuide</span>.<span word="com">com</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="TV">TV</span> <span word="Guide">Guide</span> <span word="Network">Network</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="sell">sell</span>, <span word="Open">Open</span> <span word="Gate">Gate</span> <span word="Capital">Capital</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="seeking">seeking</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="include">include</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="print">print</span> <span word="publication">publication</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="possible">possible</span> <span word="package">package</span> <span word="deal">deal</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> $400 <span word="million">million</span> - <span word="while">while</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="private">private</span> <span word="equity">equity</span> <span word="firm">firm</span> <span word="denies">denies</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="magazine">magazine</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="sale">sale</span>.</p>
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