Bran New vs. Brand New

Hi, you have A Way with Words.

Hi, this is Marla calling from San Diego.

Well, welcome to the program, Marla.

Thank you.

What’s going on?

I just had a question for you guys.

My dad and I had been curious about the phrase brand new.

I came across it while I was reading Frank L. Baum’s book, The Wizard of Oz,

And I saw a reference to brand new without the D on the end,

And I was wondering if that is indeed the same phrase

Or if they’re different and where it originally came from.

Aha, yeah, L. Frank Baum.

Yeah, and tell us about the passage where he uses brand new.

It’s in reference to the scarecrow.

After the scarecrow gets his head all sorted out by the wizard,

And it’s said to be his head is brand new, as in full of new bran, because it was stuffed with straw.

Right.

And, you know, the thing about Baum, I don’t know if you noticed it, but he’s a big punster.

Mm—

Yes.

Like, for example, the first time that Dorothy meets the scarecrow, I don’t know if you noticed this,

But when she meets the scarecrow, the line is something like, good day, he said, with a rather husky voice.

Yes.

Hardy har.

So brand new, there’s three meanings there then, right?

Well, it’s pretty clever.

I mean, he’s saying he’s got brand new brand in his head, right?

Brand new brains.

Brand new brains, right.

So it’s brand, brand, and brains that he’s making the joke about.

Yeah, it’s pretty clever.

Plus needles and pins because he’s now really sharp.

Yeah, I mean, he’s a real punster, that L. Frank Baum.

So brand new there then is the same brand new.

It’s just he modified a little bit to make a joke.

Yeah, except…

Oh, so it was around before then.

Oh, sure, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

A lot of people mistake it as brand new and use it that way.

But the original sense of the word and the predominant sense is brand new.

And the brand in that sense goes back to the use of brand many, many years ago, centuries ago, to mean a freshly burning piece of wood, a piece of wood that’s pulled directly out of the fire.

So if something’s brand new, then it’s as new as a brand.

It hasn’t even cooled off yet.

So, Marla, does that help?

Absolutely.

Thank you so much.

I know my dad and I will be very pleased to finally have an answer to that perplexing question.

Well, you’re welcome.

And just pay no attention to the two words behind the curtain.

Behind the radio.

Yeah, right.

Thank you so much.

All right.

Bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

I read all those books when I was a kid.

I remember getting them off the bookmobile in the third grade.

Really?

Mm—

Really.

I’m looking forward to sharing them with my son.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Did you realize he was such a big punster?

I didn’t.

At the time, it all went right over my head.

I was interested in the characters, you know, in the story.

Yeah, everybody thinks J.K. Rowling was the first.

Because, you know, eight-year-olds aren’t all that great at picking up on puns.

Yeah, but what a great story.

What a great series of stories.

Well, if you’ve read something in a book and it’s left you puzzled, give us a call.

1-877-929-9673 or send an email.

Our address is words@waywordradio.org.