Ticking off your down-the-middle explanation of world news.I`m Carl Azuz. Thank you for taking 10 for CNN 10.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1805/02/sn.01.html
What does the whole sentence mean?
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This is not a standard expression, or even a combination of expressions: I suspect that it is an unscripted introduction by Mr Azuz and only he would know exactly what he intended it to mean.
Ticking off could refer to checking off a series of items of world news, but it's more likely to be a mis-transcription of kicking off, which is a sporting metaphor for starting.
down-the-middle could suggest that it is an impartial presentation, but more likely it is intended to suggest that the world news will be presented in a concise summary with few diversions (down the middle, rather than taking a roundabout route).
