What does it mean to “go out on a limb”?
Where does the expression come from? You have heard it, used it, and maybe even been out on one yourself.
Going out on a limb is “to put oneself in an isolated or disadvantaged position” in support of someone or something. Sometimes it is to uphold a virtue, a set of values or principles, yours or somebody else’s. It is a stand you take, often alone and against enormous odds.
The expression is known to have first appeared in 1895 in the Steubenville Daily Herald. It was in a commentary involving US President Hamilton. A few votes were expected to come from Hamilton to put political enemies “out on a limb, far enough that all one needed to do was shake it or saw it off.”
In today’s politics, former friends, foes and other inconvenient persons (whistleblowers?) are simply thrown under the bus.
Today I wonder. Am I the sort of person worth going out on a limb for? Do I stand for something so precious, so important that someone out there will take the chance, run the risk and even bear the consequences for me? Dare I ask?
Is there any one person, principle, value or idea that could inspire us to go out on a limb? I know only a handful of people (some in high places) who would even bother, but I also know that they would do so with heart and soul.
Uncomfortable
I am not ashamed to say that I have been out on one of those before. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. Yes, scary even. I have lived to regret a couple of those times. It was difficult because I felt all alone, ostracized and often foolish. But I have also taken up cudgels and causes that today I would proudly take up again, despite the dismal results of the past.
They say that if a cause is worth espousing, one must stand by it and see it through against all odds. Something like damn the torpedos and full speed ahead?
I am fascinated by the idiomatic expressions we use. Many make sense. Some make no sense at all. And we use them often unconsciously to better describe an event or situation.
How often have you heard “the apple does not fall far from the tree?” This is another way of saying, “like father, like son,” or “like mother, like daughter.” That means it runs in the family, but in fact tells us more about the parent than the child. Often it is a form of praise. Other times it is far from flattering.
Some claim that it is an Eastern expression with roots in Germany where it was used to describe someone “with obvious failings that were probably passed along.”
American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson used it in another sense in one of his writings. He said: “The apple never falls far from the stem.” He meant it to describe the strong irresistible tug and deep emotional pull that brings us back to our childhood home. I suppose “the stem” Emerson talks about is the indissoluble bond, that emotional connection with all things that have anything to do with our early years and that we keep for the rest of our lives.
Who does not remember the sounds and aromas of the home we grew up in? I remember the mouthwatering smell of jamon en dulce, of caramelizing sugar on Tia Pilar’s natillas, the beautiful arias by Puccini and Verdi sung by Mama, concertos played on two pianos by my cousin Naty and her mother Tia Titing, and every day, the sound of Mama’s students vocalizing, doing the scales, struggling bravely with the high notes.
Ah, growing up in Sampaloc. These memories have not faded. They never will.
Other expressions
How about, “he is up a creek without an oar”? The expression was first found in American literature of the 1900s. It was used to illustrate a situation where soldiers were at the mercy of difficult events and powerless to change their dilemma. They reported that they were “up the creek,” obviously without a paddle.
I know people who today have absolutely no idea how to get out of their dreadful predicaments. Without even a pole to steer them up or downstream, they stay put, paralyzed.
Granted, a few of them don’t want to move at all, thinking it’s better to be in a bad place than to go somewhere new and unknown. So they tread the stagnant waters, hoping the tide will suddenly change and decide for them the way they should go. They would rather breathe in the stench that surrounds them than do anything to change the atmosphere. Pity. Change is good; scary, but good.
Waiting for the currents to take you elsewhere could take long; months, or even years, maybe a lifetime. Your only option might be to jump off.
Out of nowhere, here’s a random footnote: to all moms.
When was the last time your child ran up to you to flee and hide from things that go bump in the night? For some of us, it has been way too long. Once upon a time we were important and strong, with awesome powers. One word, a hug and a kiss, and the monsters and all the booboos were gone.
Then our children became adults.
There may be bigger monsters today, but no one comes running anymore. We are no longer their safe and happy place. Have we lost our power? Perhaps. But maybe these big kids are just lost and have forgotten their way home. No worries. We shall wait.
