Question

question 14 of 20
read the following excerpt from \i sell a dog\ by mark twain:
twenty - four dollars a week would really have been riches to us if we hadnt had to support that jug; because of the jug we were always sailing pretty close to the wind.
what is the role of the idiom in this sentence?
a. to explain that bad habits are creating a bad financial situation
b. to explain how the partners fortunes were dependent on an outside force
c. to show that twain was used to living a hand - to - mouth existence
d. to communicate twains disapproval of swintons fondness for whiskey

Explanation:

The idiom "sailing pretty close to the wind" implies being in a risky or difficult - financial situation due to the "jug" (presumably a bad habit like excessive drinking). It shows that a bad habit is causing a bad financial situation.

Answer:

A. To explain that bad habits are creating a bad financial situation