Question of the Day #1244

The 2021 report of the MJA–Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: Australia increasingly out on a limb

From the headline of this article at The Medical Journal of Australia.

  上記の文で、out on a limbの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "out on a limb" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. 一歩間違えれば落ちてしまう危険な状態で、危険な［不利な］立場［状況］で
2. 〔誰にも助けてもらえず〕独りぼっちの状態で、孤立して

意味は似ていますが、下記英語の1番目の定義の微妙なニュアンスの違いにも注目してほしいと思います。

 

Answer

According to the Cambridge Dictionary:

1. having an opinion that is different from most people's and is unpopular
2. in a situation where something bad could happen to you and you are not well protected

 

Examples

1. She's going out on a limb in criticizing her own party leadership.
2. By failing to address these problems, the report leaves small producers out on a limb.
3. The company overextended itself financially and was soon out on a limb.
4. Next time someone goes out on a limb for you, you might want to respect that," he said, slurring slightly. Gregg Hurwitz THE KILL CLAUSE (2003)
5. She appears to have gone out on a limb that her competitors have wisely refused to follow. The Guardian (2019)

   

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