Anonymous  +  492867 Tue, 25 Mar 08 05:12 PM This is an excerpt talking about bats...  Some had fallen to the ground where they flailed around on the snow like tiny wind-broken umbrellas, using the thumbs at the top joint of their wings to gain their balance.   What is the meaning of highlight?! Anonymous

	RayH  +  492891 Tue, 25 Mar 08 06:25 PM What the heck, I'll take a shot at this. Picture a normal opened umbrella. Now picture the umbrella after it has been broken and deformed by a strong wind. It's ribs (for lack of a better word) are bent and twisted, the fabric may be torn, there will be bits of umbrella sticking out at odd angles, etc. This sentence is saying that the bats look like they are in the same condition as the umbrellas. Note that it doesn't necessarily mean that the bats have actually been hurt (although they could have been). RayH Joined on Sat, Mar 22 2008 Contributing Member 1,555 Native speaker of U. S. English. Not a grammar expert.

	Philip  +  492967 Tue, 25 Mar 08 11:56 PM RayH “ It's ribs (for lack of a better word) are bent and twisted, the fabric may be torn, there will be bits of umbrella sticking out at odd angles, etc. This sentence is saying that the bats look like they are in the same condition as the umbrellas. ” Its (no apostrophe) = ribs is the word, I think.  You won't find a better one. Philip Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005 Veteran Member 8,733 At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen