Blame the brass?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="Johnson">Johnson</span> <span word="blames">blames</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="brass">brass</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="company">company</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="woes">woes</span>.” <span word="Blames">Blames</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="brass">brass</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="believes">believes</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fault">fault</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="company">company</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="bosses">bosses</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="trouble">trouble</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="present">present</span>.</p><p><span word="Bosses">Bosses</span>, <span word="plural">plural</span>. <span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="what">what</span> “<span word="the">the</span> <span word="brass">brass</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="about">about</span> – <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="together">together</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="management">management</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="whole">whole</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="how">how</span> “<span word="brass">brass</span>” <span word="comes">comes</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="leading">leading</span> <span word="officials">officials</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="group">group</span>.</p><p><span word="Brass">Brass</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="shiny">shiny</span> <span word="golden">golden</span> (<span word="bright">bright</span> <span word="yellow">yellow</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>) <span word="metal">metal</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="mixture">mixture</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="copper">copper</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="zinc">zinc</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="UK">UK</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="US">US</span>, <span word="high">high</span> <span word="ranking">ranking</span> <span word="officers">officers</span> <span word="wear">wear</span> <span word="brass">brass</span> <span word="hats">hats</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="hats">hats</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="brass">brass</span> <span word="braids">braids</span> (<span word="narrow">narrow</span> <span word="band">band</span>) <span word="circling">circling</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="edging">edging</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="decoration">decoration</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="symbolize">symbolize</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="importance">importance</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="ranking">ranking</span> <span word="officials">officials</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="distinguished">distinguished</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="ordinary">ordinary</span> <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rank">rank</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="file">file</span>.</p><p><span word="You">You</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="heard">heard</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> “<span word="rank">rank</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="file">file</span>”. “<span word="Rank">Rank</span>” <span word="stands">stands</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ranks">ranks</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="rise">rise</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ranks">ranks</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lowest">lowest</span> <span word="ranks">ranks</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>. “<span word="File">File</span>” <span word="stands">stands</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="ranks">ranks</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="seen">seen</span> <span word="walking">walking</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="file">file</span>, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="line">line</span>, <span word="one">one</span> <span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="another">another</span>.</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, <span word="since">since</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="high">high</span>-<span word="ranking">ranking</span> <span word="officials">officials</span> <span word="wear">wear</span> <span word="brass">brass</span> <span word="hats">hats</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="brass">brass</span> <span word="gradually">gradually</span> <span word="becomes">becomes</span> <span word="synonymous">synonymous</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="people">people</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="hear">hear</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="talking">talking</span> <span word="about">about</span> “<span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="brass">brass</span>”, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="officials">officials</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="top">top</span>. <span word="Same">Same</span> <span word="thing">thing</span>.</p><p><span word="Not">Not</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="militarily">militarily</span>. <span word="These">These</span> <span word="days">days</span> “<span word="the">the</span> <span word="brass">brass</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="walk">walk</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="life">life</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="brass">brass</span> <span word="stands">stands</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="company">company</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="bosses">bosses</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="group">group</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="management">management</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="whole">whole</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="Johnson">Johnson</span> <span word="puts">puts</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="blame">blame</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="brass">brass</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="decision">decision</span>-<span word="makers">makers</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="culprits">culprits</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="rank">rank</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="file">file</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="assembly">assembly</span> <span word="line">line</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="fault">fault</span>.</p>
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