Words and their stories: A chip on your shoulder
<p><span word="Every">Every</span> <span word="week">week</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="tell">tell</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="story">story</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="expressions">expressions</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="English">English</span>. <span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="old">old</span>. <span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="new">new</span>. <span word="Together">Together</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="form">form</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="speech">speech</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="people">people</span>.</p><p><span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="popular">popular</span> <span word="expressions">expressions</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="mystery">mystery</span>. <span word="No">No</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="sure">sure</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="developed">developed</span>. <span word="One">One</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span>, <span word="carry">carry</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="chip">chip</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="shoulder">shoulder</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="chip">chip</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="shoulder">shoulder</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="problem">problem</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="anybody">anybody</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="deal">deal</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="him">him</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="seems">seems</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="expecting">expecting</span> <span word="trouble">trouble</span>. <span word="Sometimes">Sometimes</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="seems">seems</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="saying">saying</span>, "<span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="happy">happy</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="anything">anything</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="it">it</span>?"</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="chip">chip</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="piece">piece</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="something">something</span>, <span word="like">like</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="chip">chip</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="wood">wood</span>. <span word="How">How</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="chip">chip</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="person">person</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="shoulder">shoulder</span>? <span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="experts">experts</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="appears">appears</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="hundred">hundred</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>.</p><p><span word="One">One</span> <span word="writer">writer</span> <span word="believes">believes</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="saying">saying</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="warns">warns</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="striking">striking</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="high">high</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="chip">chip</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="fall">fall</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="eye">eye</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="advice">advice</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="strike">strike</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tree">tree</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="axe">axe</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="chip">chip</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="wood">wood</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="fall">fall</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="eye">eye</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="becomes">becomes</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="warning">warning</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dangers">dangers</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="attacking">attacking</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="positions">positions</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="are">are</span>.</p><p><span word="Later">Later</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span>, <span word="some">some</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="chip">chip</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="shoulder">shoulder</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="test">test</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="wanted">wanted</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="start">start</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fight">fight</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="wait">wait</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="brave">brave</span> <span word="enough">enough</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="try">try</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="off">off</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="chip">chip</span> <span word="appears">appears</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="special">special</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="expressions">expressions</span>. <span word="Another">Another</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="chip">chip</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="block">block</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="child">child</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="parent">parent</span>.</p>
页:
[1]