Nelly Min

Reader's question:?Most high-protein diets limit grains to a couple servings a day, so you want to make sure the grains you do eat are pulling their weight. Could you explain “pull one’s weight”?

My comments:

“To pull one’s own weight” means to do one’s share, as in work. For example, if someone you work with takes really long lunch breaks or doesn’t seem to be working very hard, you can say: “She’s not pulling her weight.”

In the above example, “you want to make sure the grains you do eat are pulling their weight,” the dietary advice is saying, make sure to eat grains that are filling, because you can’t eat huge portions.

This term comes from rowing, where each crew member must pull on an oar at least enough to propel himself or herself. Its figurative use dates from about 1900.

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本文僅代表作者本人觀點，與本網立場無關。歡迎大家討論學術問題，尊重他人，禁止人身攻擊和發布一切違反國家現行法律法規的內容。

Nelly Min?is a journalist at the China Daily website.