Hedge

[Allen165]

"If you use too many substantive footnotes, readers may well conclude that you are lazily dodging the responsibility to organize a coherent discussion, self-indulgently exploring trivialities, or hedging your arguments."

Not sure what's meany by "hedging."

Thanks!

[corum]

My uneducated guess is this for the meaning of 'hedge':
If you present a disorganised argument, people are less likely to find fault in it. And this you like.

[Raymott]

"If you use too many substantive footnotes, readers may well conclude that you are lazily dodging the responsibility to organize a coherent discussion, self-indulgently exploring trivialities, or hedging your arguments."

Not sure what's meany by "hedging."

Thanks!

All of these definitions are relevant. From
define:hedge - Google Search

hedged - evasively worded in order to avoid an unqualified statement
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
A hedge is a mitigating device used to lessen the impact of an utterance. Typically, they are adjectives or adverbs, but can also consist of clauses. It could be regarded as a form of euphemism.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedge_(linguistics)
In finance, a hedge is a position established in one market in an attempt to offset exposure to price fluctuations in some opposite position in another market with the goal of minimizing one's exposure to unwanted risk. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedge_(finance)

So, hedging is not just putting a confusing argument, but there is usually some connotation of giving yourself an 'out' - not stating anything without qualification. <hedge>At least, this is how I'm used to hearing it used.</hedge>