5

There's a book entitled Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.

It's not clear what exactly phrasal verb Lean in in it's title means. Does its meaning differ from the meaning of the verb to lean in the context of the book's name?

TrevorD
  • 12,206
serguis
  • 55
  • The intention is not clear from the title. It may become clear from reading the book, and/or this will be merely a matter of opinion. Voting to close as interpretation of literature and/or primarily opinion-based. – TrevorD Aug 10 '13 at 19:42
  • 3
    This question appears to be off-topic because it is about interpretation of literature and/or primarily opinion-based – TrevorD Aug 10 '13 at 19:43
  • From the context, it sounds similar to "put your shoulder to the wheel" ... http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/put+shoulder+to+the+wheel – JeffSahol Aug 10 '13 at 19:51
  • 2
    @TrevorD, The question is not asking for an interpretation of literature, it's requesting the meaning of an expression. – Kristina Lopez Aug 10 '13 at 20:10
  • @KristinaLopez It's requesting the meaning of an expression, specifically as used in the title. We can't interpret the title without knowing the content of the book. In any event, if it's simply asking for the meaning of "lean in" as "an expression", it's GR, as demonstrated by your answer. – TrevorD Aug 10 '13 at 20:21
  • @TrevorD, Actually, my answer is not GR and its a very relevent question because the original meaning has been adapted by a women's movement, of sorts, to a specific, related meaning. I 'm just saying we shouldn't be so quick to close something in the absence of personal knowledge. :-) – Kristina Lopez Aug 10 '13 at 20:29
  • It's not obvious that it's necessary to realise that the colon is not introducing an explanation (Herpetology: the study of snakes), breakdown (States of matter: solids, liquids and gases), or subsetting (Marine fish: the rays) of the preceding expression - or list of complements (My travels in: The US, the UK, and Siberia) - but merely a subtitle (cf 'The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'). – Edwin Ashworth Aug 10 '13 at 21:08

1 Answers1

6

The book is about women needing to move out of their comfort zone and work harder to break into senior management positions traditionally held by men.

From the Free Dictionary:

"lean in (to something)"

to incline or press into something. You have to lean into the wind when you walk or you will be blown over. As you walk into the wind, lean in a little bit. The north wall of the barn leans in a little. Is it going to fall? See also: lean

(McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.)

Community
  • 1
Kristina Lopez
  • 26,536