legs stretched awkwardly out and legs stuck out

[Quang Hai]

Hello Teacher,

I am reading A Child's Play - an W. Trevor story. A couple divorced and every weekend the son visited his father. The kid noticed differences in his father.
Below are what the kid described his father after divorced.
'He was more serious. He didn’t spread himself about in the sitting-room the way he used to, his legs stretched awkwardly out so that people fell over them.'

Then after a while, his father got new girlfriend and the kid described him as below:
'A week ago Gerard said his father had reverted to something like his old self, his legs stuck out while he read the newspaper'

Please could someone explain to me what is ​legs stretched awkwardly out and legs stuck out. How does it looks like. thanks.

 

[Route21]

As an NES but not a teacher, I would take it to mean that, instead of keeping his heels close to the front of the chair, he stretched them out in front of him, probably crossed at the ankles, in places where someone could easily trip over them.

Hope this helps.
R21

 

[Quang Hai]

As an NES but not a teacher, I would take it to mean that, instead of keeping his heels close to the front of the chair, he stretched them out in front of him, probably crossed at the ankles, in plsces where someone could easily trip overtgem.

Hope this helps.
R21

Thanks Route. What about his legs stuck out while he read the newspaper? I guess it means put one leg on top of another leg so it does not take much space.

 

[JMurray]

not a teacher

legs stretched out
legs stuck out

As route21 says, both expressions simply describe the legs being extended out in front of the sitter and away from the chair. There is no indication as to whether the legs are crossed or not, although it is common to cross the legs when doing this.