Harris stretches lead over Trump in what could be significant increase
Harris stretches lead over Trump in what could be significant increase
While election almost certain to be decided by swing states, pollsters explain why growth in national polls is meaningful
While election almost certain to be decided by swing states, pollsters explain why growth in national polls is meaningful
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Is that like rubber bands, it's the same amount only stretched? Like we changed the scales on the graph to make it look bigger.
Is it really normal to write like that headline in English? Because to me it sounds stupid.
Seems increases would be the "normal" word to use.i agree but the title would become :
"Harrisstretchesincreases lead over Trump in what could be significant increase"
... so then you have twice this same word in the title, which doesn't sound so good.builds amasses grows
Yes, any of those 3 synonyms would fit.
Yes I see, I still find it weird to call it "stretches".
The synonyms "Ben Hur Horse Race" mention would of course be better.
Stretching a lead is a sports term. Most commonly in racing. Sports metaphors are common in politics.
I never heard it, and it still sounds stupid IMO.
It's stupid because you've never heard of it?
No it's stupid because stretching something generally means by using less like stretching resources by using less, or stretching a band by pulling it making it thinner.
That's why it's stupid because it contains none of the original meaning.
I can figure out in sports it probably comes from stretching out (muscles), like giving it a bit of extra effort. But the headline doesn't work in that context either.So in short, it's a stupid use that is erroneously used out of the original context and meaning where it had a common denominator that made sense.
There is no stretching going on in Harris increasing her lead.If you stretch a rubber band it gets longer. The two ends of the band get farther apart. This might be easier to imagine with a broken rubber band rather than a loop. If you stretch a lead, whether in sports, politics, or anything else, the gap gets larger. The two sides get farther apart.
OK a stretch can also be a distance like: "a stretch of road." I suppose that somewhat ties it together.
We actually have the equivalent of stretch of road and to stretch something being similar words, but we would never say stretching a lead.
You know we're talkin bout American English right?
Are we? I was not aware there was a difference in this context. Isn't Guardian British.?
Semantics but I mean it does actually indicate more people polling for her instead of Turnip so it's not stretching in that sense.
I think they use that word because in American politics things are so polarized that it really feels like any gain really does seem like stretching the tiny group of people that can be won over like a rubber band.