|
Reader question: Please explain this sentence: When her husband died, it kind of left her high and dry. My comments: You may infer her husband did not leave her a lot of money. “High and dry”, you see, originally describes boats and ships stranded on the beach. They come onshore during a particularly high tide for instance. When the tide recedes, the boats and ships are found lying helplessly on the sea floor. “High” suggests its position is high. Dry? Waterless, of course. In this situation, the boats and ships can do nothing but wait for the next high tide. In other words, nothing doing. According to Phrases.org, this term was first used in a ‘Ship News’ column in The [London] Times, August 1796: “The Russian frigate Archipelago, yesterday got aground below the Nore at high water, which; when the tide had ebbed, left her nearly high and dry.” Helplessness, isolation and all-round dire discomfort are feelings we can imagine sailors having from that type of situation. In our example, when the death of her husband is described as “kind of” leaving her “high and dry”, we can similarly imagine that life will be difficult for her from now on. Suppose her husband did not leave her any money, suppose she had two children to now raise on her own, suppose she had no permanent job, etc. There are all sorts of difficulties for her to face and fend off from now on, and she has to do it alone. Anyways, “kind of” suggests that these surmises are probably not very far off. In other words, they may all be true, more or less. | 
