A rider, we all know, is one who rides, whether a motor-bike or a horse or whatever. But the word is also used in legal contexts to mean a qualifying clause. The old Shorter Oxford English Dictionary also lists the word with the meaning 'a mathematical problem arising either directly or indirectly out of the proposition to which it is appended'.
Whether or not this means anything to you (I am absolutely no mathematician, though I reckon I can keep simple accounts satisfactorily), it appears that the legal and mathematical uses of the word rider imply 'something that is carried on the back of something else'; perhaps even 'something that wouldn't be travelling at all if it hadn't hitched a ride'.
This is a a nice metaphor to add to your collection.
Concepts in the Saddle
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment