Words and their stories: top brass
<p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="Italians">Italians</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="saying">saying</span>, "<span word="Il">Il</span> <span word="dolce">dolce</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="niente">niente</span>." <span word="The">The</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="sweet">sweet</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="enjoyable">enjoyable</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span>.</p><p><span word="On">On</span> <span word="weekends">weekends</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="holidays">holidays</span>, <span word="many">many</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="enjoy">enjoy</span> <span word="doing">doing</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="work">work</span>. <span word="And">And</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="jobs">jobs</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="hard">hard</span>. <span word="Our">Our</span> <span word="employer">employer</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span>.</p><p><span word="American">American</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="employers">employers</span> <span word="bosses">bosses</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="boss">boss</span> <span word="comes">comes</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Dutch">Dutch</span> <span word="word">word</span>, <span word="baas">baas</span>, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="master">master</span>.</p><p><span word="Sometimes">Sometimes</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="bosses">bosses</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="brass">brass</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="sometimes">sometimes</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="brass">brass</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="brass">brass</span> <span word="hats">hats</span>.</p><p><span word="Experts">Experts</span> <span word="disagree">disagree</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="strange">strange</span> <span word="expressions">expressions</span> <span word="started">started</span>. <span word="But">But</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span>. <span word="Leaders">Leaders</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nineteenth">nineteenth</span> <span word="century">century</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="army">army</span> <span word="wore">wore</span> <span word="pieces">pieces</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="metal">metal</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="oak">oak</span> <span word="leaves">leaves</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="hats">hats</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="metal">metal</span>, <span word="brass">brass</span>, <span word="has">has</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="color">color</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="gold">gold</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="leader">leader</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="commander">commander</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="member">member</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="brass">brass</span>. <span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="brass">brass</span> <span word="hat">hat</span>. <span word="Or">Or</span>, <span word="even">even</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="brass">brass</span>.</p><p><span word="By">By</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nineteen">nineteen</span> <span word="forties">forties</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="spread">spread</span> <span word="beyond">beyond</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="leaders">leaders</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="included">included</span> <span word="civilian">civilian</span> <span word="officials">officials</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="newspaper">newspaper</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Philadelphia">Philadelphia</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="term">term</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="nineteen">nineteen</span> <span word="forty">forty</span>-<span word="nine">nine</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="police">police</span> <span word="officials">officials</span>, <span word="top">top</span> <span word="brass">brass</span>.</p><p><span word="Other">Other</span> <span word="expressions">expressions</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="boss">boss</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="employer">employer</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="brass">brass</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="hats">hats</span>. <span word="One">One</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="cheese">cheese</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="cheese">cheese</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="solid">solid</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="milk">milk</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="started">started</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="America">America</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="late">late</span> <span word="nineteenth">nineteenth</span> <span word="century">century</span>. <span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="experts">experts</span> <span word="believe">believe</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="comes">comes</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Uersian">Uersian</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="urdu">urdu</span> <span word="languages">languages</span> -- <span word="chiz">chiz</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="thing">thing</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="cheese">cheese</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="thing">thing</span>.</p>
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