>>>The fence mending probably wouldn't do a thing today, but in the long run, and medium too, would leave the recruiters for this kind of war without support.
>>
>>What's the point in fence mending anyway? they'd only go and run an explosive-laded wheel-barrow into it.
>>
>>Besides, doesn't fence-mendig suggest putting up a barrier. A better expresion would be "fence demolition".
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>I think the expression comes from American farmers - good fence means we won't get into a dispute if your cows walk into my cabbage.
>
>>FYI other common expressions that are dead wrong:
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>>They talk of someone's "meteoric rise". - When was the last time a meteor was seen rising?
>
>That's as dumb as it gets.
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>>I'm getting there, but "it's a steep learning curve" - Most graphs have time as the x-axis, and "gain" as the y. In other words, he's achieving great leaps of improvement in a very short time.
>

I was going to say that people should refer to a "shallow learning curve" to suggest difficulty. :-)

>That's the trouble - any other newbie now knows he has to achieve the same great leaps in short time. IOW, he should achieve that, and it's not easy for many.
>
>How about "exorbitant price"? I don't see how it can be worse than a price which is still on a regular path in the stratosphere or above.

Originally "Orbis" referred to a wheel rut or track, didn't it? So exorbitant merely means "off the track", i.e. different or not following exactly the same course.