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