go out on a limb
to take a risk
TRANSLATION
go out on a limb = ein Risiko eingehen --- GOOGLE INDEX out on a limb: approximately 5,000,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Columnists make predictions at their peril, but I’ll GO OUT ON A LIMB: If Hurricane Irene turns out to have wrought the havoc some forecasters have predicted, some expert will quickly reassure us that all the destruction is good for the economy.
(Boston Globe)
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Is The U.S. OUT ON A LIMB With Musharraf?
(BusinessWeek magazine)
(Boston Globe)
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Is The U.S. OUT ON A LIMB With Musharraf?
(BusinessWeek magazine)
Did you
know?
go out on a limb
idiom
- to take risk
---
With plenty of language resources at our disposal, it's not often that we have to go out on a limb to define a word or an expression. But in the case of "out on a limb", we feel compelled to take a small risk. The major English dictionaries all have slightly different definitions:
- Merriam-Webster = in an exposed or dangerous position with little chance of retreat
- Cambridge = having an opinion which is different from most people's and is unpopular
- Oxford = isolated / in or into a position where one is not joined or supported by anyone else
- American Heritage = in a difficult, awkward, or vulnerable position
- McGraw Hill = in a dangerous position to do something; at risk
We saved the best for last, because the essence of "going out on a limb" is to take a risk. Although the other definitions certainly have their place, they tend to address more specific situations as opposed to general risk.
In addition to the term for an arm or leg, "limb" also refers to the larger branches of a tree (the plural limbs describes all four of the extremities). Going (or climbing) out on a limb can thus be a dangerous endeavor, as seen in countless cartoons where someone breaks a tree limb with their own weight and falls to the ground.
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SYNONYMS
chance it, take a chance, take the plunge, play with fire, gamble
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"Sometimes you have to go out on a limb to be successful."
idiom
- to take risk
---
With plenty of language resources at our disposal, it's not often that we have to go out on a limb to define a word or an expression. But in the case of "out on a limb", we feel compelled to take a small risk. The major English dictionaries all have slightly different definitions:
- Merriam-Webster = in an exposed or dangerous position with little chance of retreat
- Cambridge = having an opinion which is different from most people's and is unpopular
- Oxford = isolated / in or into a position where one is not joined or supported by anyone else
- American Heritage = in a difficult, awkward, or vulnerable position
- McGraw Hill = in a dangerous position to do something; at risk
We saved the best for last, because the essence of "going out on a limb" is to take a risk. Although the other definitions certainly have their place, they tend to address more specific situations as opposed to general risk.
In addition to the term for an arm or leg, "limb" also refers to the larger branches of a tree (the plural limbs describes all four of the extremities). Going (or climbing) out on a limb can thus be a dangerous endeavor, as seen in countless cartoons where someone breaks a tree limb with their own weight and falls to the ground.
---
SYNONYMS
chance it, take a chance, take the plunge, play with fire, gamble
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"Sometimes you have to go out on a limb to be successful."
