questions
He stopped. Not too far ahead of him, on the other side of the blacktop highway, was a woodchuck. A damned fat one. Sleek and sassy, too. Instead of scurrying off into the high grass, it was coming on ahead. There was a fallen birch sticking its top half out onto the shoulder of the road, and Barbie was betting the woodchuck would scurry under there and wait for the big bad Two-Legs to go by. If not, they would pass each other like the ramblin guys they were, the one on four legs headed north, the one on two headed south. Barbie hoped that would happen. It would be cool.
Question 1: Barbie was betting --- In this case, what's the meaning of 'bet'?
Question 2: sticking its top half out --- in this case, does 'half' function as an adverb modifying the adverb 'out'?
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Answers · 4
2
1) Here "betting" means that she expects or hopes the woodchuck to go under the birch tree.
2) "sticking its top half out" could actually be two different things, either:
"sticking its top-half out" -> Here "top-half" is a noun (I think), and the top-half of the tree is sticking out. This is how I read it: "the top half of the tree is sticking out"
"sticking its top half-out" -> Here "half-out" is an adverb (I think?), but pretty much means the same thing. "the top of the tree is half sticking out" ... I guess that would be less than half of the tree?
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