Is the brand in brand-new connected to the kind of brand left by a hot iron? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “”Brand” in “Brand New”” Hello, welcome to A Way with Words. Hi, this is Giovanni Cruz from Dallas, Texas. Hi, Giovanni...
A cataract is not only an eye condition, it’s also a waterfall. And the two uses of the word are related, in the sense that in the ancient world, a cataracta was one of those iron gates that hung outside a city, such as Pompeii, to protect against...
When it comes to trail mix, the peanuts may just as well be packing peanuts — all we really want is the chocolate! But if you’re one of those people who dig for the M&Ms and leave the rest, you might be accused of high-grading. This term comes from...
Why do we say someone whose career on the ascent is enjoying a meteoric rise? Don’t meteors plummet? For that matter, a caller asks, why do we call “heads up!” when a ball is coming towards us? Shouldn’t it be “heads down”? The hosts explain that...
I kill you later n.— «Using derivatives contracts known as accumulators, the company wanted to minimize its currency exposure resulting from a A$1.6 billion (US$1.07 billion) investment in an iron ore mine in Australia. Three months later, the...
hang iron v. phr.— «During snowstorms in Portland, Ore., before Christmas, Kelley had to chain up, or “hang iron” as he calls it. “It takes two hours to hang my iron.”» —“Road closures make a costly wait for truckers” by Julie...