陡到危險的地形
這一族就是核心畫面本身：還沒有比喻，講的就是真的山壁、真的落差。
adjective · C1
So steep and so high that it feels dangerous — used about cliffs, slopes, paths, stairs and drops that go down almost straight.
陡峭險峻的
核心畫面
Stand at the edge of a cliff. The ground stops at your toes and the land drops away, almost straight down, a long way. That edge is the whole word. Look at the rock and you get the steep, dangerous slope. Look at what would happen to anything that went over it and you get the fast, deep fall — which is what a chart does when sales collapse. Look at the person leaning too far forward and you get the decision made head first, before the thinking is done.
可以想成你站在懸崖邊。地面到你的腳尖就沒了，整片山壁幾乎垂直往下掉，而且掉得很深。這個邊緣就是整個字。看著岩壁，你得…更多收起
可以想成你站在懸崖邊。地面到你的腳尖就沒了，整片山壁幾乎垂直往下掉，而且掉得很深。這個邊緣就是整個字。看著岩壁，你得到的是「陡到危險」。想像東西掉下去會怎樣，你得到的是「又快又深的下墜」——那正是業績崩掉時，折線圖畫出來的樣子。再看那個往前傾得太多的人，你得到的是「還沒想清楚就先動了」的決定。From the word’s history
The supplied Wiktionary etymology traces the word through Latin praeceps, praecipit-, formed from prae- (before, in front) and caput (head) — literally head first, and the same root that gives precipice, a steep cliff. The three modern uses sit neatly on those two pieces: the cliff, and the head going over it.
來源提供的字源說：這個字可以追到拉丁文 praeceps／praecipit-，由 prae-（在前）加 caput（頭）組成，字面就是「頭朝前」。同一個字根也給了我們 precipice（懸崖）。今天的三個意思剛好落在這兩塊上：一塊是懸崖本身，一塊是那顆先探出去的頭。
Wiktionary 'precipitous' etymology, supplied verbatim in this batch's evidence packet (source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:656904184)
Three branches
像從懸崖掉下去的數字
把山壁換成一張折線圖：線條原本平平地走，然後像遇到懸崖邊一樣直直往下。這是教學上的連結，不是說這個用法比較晚才出現。
adjective · C1
Happening very suddenly and going down a very long way in a very short time — used especially about a fall in prices, numbers, support or health.
驟降的、急遽的
頭朝前栽出去的決定
這一族回到字源的另一半：praeceps 的字面是「頭朝前」。人往前傾過頭就會失去平衡，決定做得太早也一樣。
adjective · C1
Done or decided too quickly, without enough careful thought, so that it may turn out badly.
倉促而未經思考的