Translation

[maximo]

Can someone help please ? I am working on a translation, English to French, and I 've come accross a sentence I just cannot make sense of. Here's the sentence ( it's the part in bold I don't get ) :

"As feminists have been arguing for 25 years, it takes more than two people to raise a child or, given the thinness of New Men on the ground, usually one."

What does "New Men on the ground" mean ? Is the author making a reference to some sort of new generation, or type, of men ? And in what sense are they "thin" ? I would appreciate any insight ! Thanks all.

[jno]

'thin on the ground' means hard to find. So there aren't many New Men.

[maximo]

Oh my GOD !!! Thank you JNO !

I've been looking at it as in "new kids on the block" kind of phrase !!! lol ! I guess that's what happens when you've been looking at something for so long, that you don't see what's around it anymore....Thanks again, it all makes sense now ! :-)

[SteveD]

The phrase could have been worded, "...given the thinness on the ground of New Men".