etymology - The meaning and origin of "hedge your bets"


What exactly does it mean? And what is the origin of the phrase "hedge your bets"?



Answer



To "hedge your bets" means to reduce or mitigate your risk. According to Etymology Online, this usage of hedge has been around since the 1600s.


From this page, the origin of the phrase comes from an actual hedge or plantings that act as a fence to enclose a piece of land. A hedge delimits an area, so the idea of a limited risk arose from that concept. An older expression, "to hedge in a debt," supports this origin.


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