Tightrope walking inexperienced funambulists will often walk barefoot so that the wire can be grasped between the big and second toe. This is more often done when using a rope, as the softer and silkier fibres are less taxing on the bare foot than the harder and more abrasive braided wire. The word "funambulism" or the phrase ""walking a tightrope"" is also used in a metaphorical setting not referring to any actual acrobatic acts. For instance, politicians are said to "walk a tightrope" when trying to balance two opposing views with little room for compromise. The term can also be used in
Crank (person) presidency. In 1882, the term was used to describe Charles Guiteau, who shot U.S. president James Garfield. Following news reports of Guiteau's trial, "crank" spread to describe obsessed baseball fans. In 1906, "Nature" offered essentially the same definition which is used here: The word "crackpot" apparently also first appeared in 1883: In "Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary", the terms "crackpot", "crackbrain", and "cracked" are synonymous, and suggest a metaphorically "broken" head. The terms "crazy" and "crazed" also originally meant "broken" and derive from the same root word as "cracked". The dictionary gives no indication that "pate" and "pot" have the same