Street voices
Hugues
·
United States
"A stretch. A conclusion brought about by flimsy arguments and faulty logical reasoning, often with far-fetched ideas. So why do you think birds are robots? Dude, have you heard them singing? They sound like lasers, man! Well, that's a bit of a stretch, don't you think?"
What it means
Something you say when a claim or conclusion feels like it's reaching way past the facts. The logic's thin, the jump is too big, and you're basically saying nah, that doesn't really hold up.
Usage examples
"Thinking birds are robots because their singing sounds like lasers is a bit of a stretch."
"Saying you deserve a raise because you watered the office plant once is a bit of a stretch, even for a generous boss."
"Calling him a mastermind because he guessed the Wi-Fi password first time is a stretch."
"You saw her like one post and now you're saying you're basically best mates? Bit of a stretch, mate."
"So you were late because Mercury's in a mood and your alarm absorbed bad vibes? That's a stretch, mate."
Where it comes from
It comes from the plain old verb stretch, meaning to pull something farther than it naturally goes. English has used stretch figuratively for an overextended excuse, claim, or conclusion since at least the 1800s. So if the reasoning feels pulled too far past the facts, it's a stretch.
Editors of this term
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