Surrounded or protected by hedges; also means to avoid making a clear or direct statement or commitment.
Past tense of 'hedge,' from Old English 'hecg' (fence or barrier), with the figurative meaning of 'waffling' developing from the idea of not clearly crossing a boundary.
When someone says they're 'hedging their bets,' they're literally acting like a physical hedge—refusing to pick one side clearly, staying protected by multiple options instead.
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