Off the wall?
<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="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wall">wall</span>”, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span> “<span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="pretty">pretty</span> <span word="off">off</span>-<span word="the">the</span>-<span word="wall">wall</span> <span word="stuff">stuff</span> <span word="before">before</span>…”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="paraphrase">paraphrase</span>, <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="pretty">pretty</span> <span word="outrageous">outrageous</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="before">before</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="we">we</span>’<span word="d">d</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="it">it</span> (<span word="what">what</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="said">said</span>) <span word="seriously">seriously</span>.</p><p><span word="Yes">Yes</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="what">what</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wall">wall</span>? <span word="What">What</span> <span word="wall">wall</span>?</p><p>“<span word="Off">Off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wall">wall</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="originating">originating</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="squash">squash</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="players">players</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wall">wall</span>. <span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="the">the</span> “<span word="wall">wall</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="about">about</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="player">player</span> <span word="hits">hits</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="front">front</span> <span word="and">and</span>/<span word="or">or</span> <span word="side">side</span> <span word="walls">walls</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="receiver">receiver</span> <span word="hits">hits</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="way">way</span>, <span word="hitting">hitting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="front">front</span> <span word="wall">wall</span>.</p><p><span word="Spectators">Spectators</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="watching">watching</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="kept">kept</span> <span word="busy">busy</span> <span word="watching">watching</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="ricochet">ricochet</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="walls">walls</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="rapid">rapid</span> <span word="succession">succession</span>. <span word="Only">Only</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="figure">figure</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span> <span word="what">what</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="on">on</span>.</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, <span word="squash">squash</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="considered">considered</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="difficult">difficult</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="play">play</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="difficult">difficult</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="beginners">beginners</span>. <span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="all">all</span> <span word="skill">skill</span> <span word="games">games</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="difficult">difficult</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="beginners">beginners</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="rightly">rightly</span> <span word="so">so</span>. <span word="Tennis">Tennis</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ping">ping</span> <span word="pong">pong</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>. <span word="Volleyball">Volleyball</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="archery">archery</span>, <span word="likewise">likewise</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="But">But</span>, <span word="still">still</span>, <span word="squash">squash</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="considered">considered</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="difficult">difficult</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="beginners">beginners</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="travels">travels</span> <span word="irregularly">irregularly</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="bouncing">bouncing</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="wall">wall</span>.</p><p><span word="Precisely">Precisely</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> “<span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wall">wall</span>” <span word="begins">begins</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="stand">stand</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="unusual">unusual</span>, <span word="unconventional">unconventional</span>, <span word="unexpected">unexpected</span>, <span word="outlandish">outlandish</span>, <span word="bizarre">bizarre</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="shocking">shocking</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="described">described</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wall">wall</span>, <span word="then">then</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="true">true</span> – <span word="this">this</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="irregular">irregular</span>, <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="control">control</span>, <span word="crazy">crazy</span>, <span word="unpredictable">unpredictable</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="you">you</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="grid">grid</span>, <span word="wild">wild</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="irrational">irrational</span>.</p>
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