Straighten them out?

Reader question:

Please explain “straighten them out” in this passage: Under 20 years old and they’re all doing drugs. Someone must talk to them and straighten them out. Now. This is urgent.

My comments:

Someone must talk to these youngsters and make sure that, in future, they do not touch drugs.

Someone with authority, preferably, someone these youngsters, who are practically teenagers, respect, trust and will listen to.

And heed.

These youngsters must be stopped now before they stray too far, as we all know what harm drugs can do to people. Drugs being drugs, too much of them often lead to wild and uncontrollable behavior. On the personal level, drugs cause lots of health problems. On the social level, drugs sometimes lead to criminal conduct and, at worst, prison and jail time.

Oh, straighten them out.

To straighten them out is to make them straight as if they were limp and tangled threads. As threads, you can untangle them, pull at both ends and literally straighten them out.

Drugs, you see, are considered wrong and, in many places, illegal. As such, doing drugs is considered deviant, deviant from the normal, proper and correct route.

To wit, the right way of life.

The right way of life is a straight track, a narrow track, as it is sometimes called the straight and narrow, and people are supposed to toe the line, so to speak, always.

So, these youngsters must be be straightened out and pulled back onto that narrow and straight line, the right track.

All right?

All right, let’s read a few media examples for a better idea of people and things that need to straighten out:

1. The ￡18million summer signing from CSKA Moscow has so far been limited to just two appearances this season.

And he today claimed that a change in climate could be behind the injury.

He said: “The English doctors see my problems as a reaction of the body to drastic changes – in the climate, lifestyle, training work and in everything else.”

Zhirkov picked up the injury during the pre-season friendly against AC Milan.

But he remains positive his injury problems will clear up and allow him to make an impact at Chelsea.

He added: “I try to remain optimistic: many players have had such difficulties. I am not the first, not the last.

“It is a pity that the problems coincided with my move to a new club, but if I keep being distressed the situation will not change.

“I must work and believe that everything is going to straighten out soon.

“In Chelsea the team is very good, all of them understand my situation.

“My case is not the first one, many newcomers of Chelsea were sidelined in the first months in the club.”

- Chelsea midfielder Yuri Zhirkov blames British weather for knee injury, Express.co.uk, November 18, 2009.

2. Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan became the latest European to win on the PGA Tour as he shot a final round 69 for victory in the Truist Championship by two strokes.

Reitan finished two shots ahead of Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard and American Rickie Fowler, but it was Alex Fitzpatrick that was left with the most regrets after a devastating double bogey at the penultimate hole.

Rory McIlroy fell out of contention on Saturday with an uncharacteristically poor 75, but recovered with a 67 on Sunday to finish tied-19th, and said he had “figured out” a couple of swing issues on the range.

“I feel like I got into a couple of bad habits just because of that left-to-right wind on the range all week. So straightened that out. I’m going to go home tonight, which will be nice, spend a night in my own bed and practice at home tomorrow.

“Try to get continue that feel and bring that up to Philadelphia for the rest of the week.”

- Rory McIlroy says game has ‘straightened out’ ahead of PGA as Reitan wins Truist, IrishTimes.com, May 11 2026.

3. A visibly agitated President Trump stormed off his interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” after a testy exchange with a reporter who grilled him over his claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

Trump lashed out at moderator Kristen Welker after she insisted he failed to provide a shred of evidence about his disputed accusations that the 2020 election was “rigged” against him or that the elections in California are subject to malfeasance.

“You’re a one-sided crooked network,” Trump fumed during the interview, which aired Sunday. “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time.”

Welker pleaded with Trump to continue, recalling how she trekked over to Wisconsin for the interview, but the president was done.

“I sat in the rain with you for an hour,” he grumbled.

“On and off in the rain, and I’ve given you enough time. You ought to straighten out your press,” he added. “A country can never be great with a dishonest press.”

After airing that testy exchange, Welker revealed that she spoke with Trump afterward and he agreed to do a follow-up interview with her, though it’s not clear when.

- Trump storms off ‘Meet The Press’ interview after fiery exchange with NBC’s Kristen Welker over 2020 election, NYPost.com, June 7, 2026.

本文仅代表作者本人观点，与本网立场无关。欢迎大家讨论学术问题，尊重他人，禁止人身攻击和发布一切违反国家现行法律法规的内容。

About the author:

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.

（作者：张欣）