words and their stories

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Cold weather has a great effect on how our minds and our bodies work. Maybe that is why there are so many
expressions that use the word cold.

For centuries, the body's blood has been linked closely with the emotions. People who show no human
emotions or feelings, for example, are said to be cold-blooded. Cold-blooded people act in cruel ways. They
may do brutal things to others, and not by accident.

For example, a newspaper says the police are searching for a cold-blooded killer. The killer murdered
someone, not in self-defense, or because he was reacting to anger or fear. He seemed to kill for no reason,
and with no emotion, as if taking someone's life meant nothing.

Cold can affect other parts of the body. The feet, for example. Heavy socks can warm your feet, if your feet
are really cold. But there is an expression -- to get cold feet -- that has nothing to do with cold or your feet.
The expression means being afraid to do something you had decided to do. For example, you agree to be
president of an organization. But then you learn that all the other officers have resigned. All the work of the
organization will be your responsibility. You are likely to get cold feet about being president when you
understand the situation.

Cold can also affect your shoulder.

You give someone the cold shoulder when you refuse to speak to them. You treat them in a distant, cold
way. The expression probably comes from the physical act of turning your back toward someone, instead of
speaking to him face-to-face. You may give a cold shoulder to a friend who has not kept a promise he made
to you. Or, to someone who has lied about you to others.

A cold fish is not a fish. It is a person. But it is a person who is unfriendly, unemotional and shows no love
or warmth. A cold fish does not offer much of himself to anyone.

Someone who is a cold fish could be cold-hearted. A cold-hearted person is someone who has no

sympathy. Several popular songs in recent years were about cold-hearted men or cold-hearted women who,
without feeling, broke the hearts of their lovers.

<b>Out in the cold is an expression often heard. It means not getting something that everybody else got. A </b>
person might say that everybody but him got a pay raise, that he was left out in the cold. And it is not a
pleasant place to be.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn Rice
Christiano. Maurice Joyce was the narrator. I'm Shirley Griffith.

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Every language has its own special words and expressions. And a story can be told about each of them.
<b>Hot is a simple, easily-understood word. So are most of the expressions made with the word hot. But not </b>
always, as we shall see.

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The potato is a popular vegetable in the United States. Many people like baked potatoes, cooked in an oven
or fire. Imagine trying to carry a hot, baked potato in your hand. It would be difficult, even painful, to do
so.

Now we are getting close to the meaning of hot potato.

Some publicly-disputed issues are highly emotional. The issues must be treated carefully, or they will be
difficult and painful if an elected official has to deal with them. As difficult and painful as holding a hot
potato.

One such hot potato is taxes.

Calling for higher taxes can mean defeat for a politician. And yet, if taxes are not raised, some very popular

government programs could be cut. And that also can make a politician very unpopular. So the questions
must be dealt with carefully...the same way you would handle any other hot potato.

Another expression is not so hot. If you ask someone how she feels, she may answer: "not so hot." What
she means is she does not feel well.

Not so hot also is a way of saying that you do not really like something. You may tell a friend that the new
play you saw last night is not so hot. That means you did not consider it a success.

A hot shot is a person -- often a young person -- who thinks he can do anything. At least he wants to try.
He is very sure he can succeed. But often he fails. The expression was born in the military forces. A hot
shot was a soldier who fired without aiming carefully.

Hot is a word that is often used to talk about anger.

A person who becomes angry easily is called a hothead. An angry person's neck often becomes red. We
say he is hot under the collar. You could say that your friend is no hothead. But he got hot under the collar
when someone took his radio.

In nineteen sixty-three, hot line appeared as a new expression.

The hot line was a direct communications link between the leaders of the Soviet Union and the United
States. The hot line had an important purpose: to prevent accidental war between the two competitors during
the period known as the Cold War. The American president and the Soviet leader were able to

communicate directly and immediately on the hot line. This helped prevent any conflict during an
international crisis.

You have been listening to the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. Our
program was written by Marilyn Rice Christiano. I'm Warren Scheer.

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Every people has its own way of saying things, its own special expressions. Some of these expressions are
easy to understand. The words create a picture in your mind.

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If you ever tried to walk on a fallen tree log, you understand what the expression means. It is easier to fall off
the log than to stay on it.

The expression is often used today. For example, you might hear a student say to her friend that her spelling
test was "as easy as falling off a log."

There are several other expressions that mean the same thing. And their meaning is as easy to understand as
"falling off a log." One is, "easy as pie". Nothing is easier than eating a piece of sweet, juicy pie. Unless it is
a "piece of cake."

"Piece of cake" is another expression that means something is extremely easy to do. A friend might tell you
that his new job was a "piece of cake."

Another expression is "as easy as shooting fish in a barrel."

It is hard to imagine why anyone would want to shoot fish in a barrel. But, clearly, fish in a barrel would be
much easier to shoot than fish in a stream. In fact, it would be as easy as "falling off a log".

Sometimes, things that come to us easily, also leave us just as easily. In fact, there is an expression – "easy
come, easy go" – that recognizes this. You may win a lot of money in a lottery, then spend it all in a few
days. Easy come, easy go.

When life itself is easy, when you have no cares or problems, you are on "Easy Street." Everyone wants to
live on that imaginary street.

Another "easy" expression is to "go easy on a person". It means to treat a person kindly or gently, especially
in a situation where you might be expected to be angry with him. A wife might urge her husband to "go easy
on" their son, because the boy did not mean to wreck the car.

If it is necessary to borrow some money to fix the car, you should look for a friend who is an "easy touch".
An "easy touch" or a "soft touch" is someone who is kind and helpful. He would easily agree to lend you the
money.

And one last expression, one that means do not worry or work too hard. Try to keep away from difficult
situations. "Take it easy" until we meet again.

You have been listening to the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. I'm Bob
Doughty.

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Today we explain some expressions about birds. For example, if something is for the birds, it is worthless
or not very interesting. Someone who eats like a bird eats very little. And a birds-eye view is a general
look at an area from above.

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Sometimes I can do two things by performing only one action. This is called killing two birds with one
<b>stone. But I would never really kill any birds. I love all kinds of animals. This is a real feather in my cap. </b>
It is something to be proud of.

Most of the people I work with are early birds. They believe that the early bird catches the worm. They
think that a person who gets up early in the morning for work has the best chance of success. Everyone in
my office works hard, but some people have had their wings clipped. Their jobs have been limited. This is
because the office is organized by pecking order. People with more years and experience are given more
responsibility.

Some bird expressions are about crows, chickens and ducks. For example, when I am driving, I always travel
<b>as the crow flies. I go the most direct way. Anyone who eats crow has to admit a mistake or defeat.</b>

Now let's talk about my sister. She is not very young. She is no spring chicken. She will work any job for
<b>chicken feed -- a small amount of money. She is easily frightened. For example, she is too chicken-livered </b>
<b>to walk down a dark street alone at night. Often she will chicken out – she will not go out alone at night.</b>
My sister was an ugly duckling. She looked strange when she was a child, but she grew up to be a beautiful
woman. Sometimes she thinks too much about having something in the future before she really has it. She
<b>counts her chickens before they are hatched. Sometimes her chickens come home to roost. That means </b>
her actions or words cause trouble for her. However, my sister does not worry about what people say about
her. Criticism falls off her like water off a duck's back.

Politicians are sometimes considered lame ducks after losing an election. They have little time left in office
and not much power. Congress holds a lame duck session after an election. Important laws are not passed
during this period.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith
Lapidus.

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Cats are the most popular pets among Americans. So it is not surprising that there are many expressions
about cats. Some cats like to catch small birds, like canaries. If someone looks very proud or satisfied with
himself, we say he looks like the cat that ate the canary.

Sometimes, a cat likes to play with a small animal it catches.

So if you play cat and mouse with someone,you change between different kinds of behavior when dealing
with another person. For example, a child might offer something sweet to her little brother and then take it
away when he reaches for it.

A cat will often catch a small animal and present it to its owner. The saying that looks like something the
<b>cat dragged in describes something in bad condition.</b>

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Children might call a child who is easily frightened a fraidy cat or a scaredy cat. A copycat is someone
who acts just like someone else or copies another person's work. A fat cat is a person with a lot of money.
You may have known that cats spend most of their time sleeping. Sometimes people sleep for a short time
during the day. This is called a cat nap.

If you tell about something that was supposed to be a secret, we say you let the cat out of the bag. If you
are not able to speak or answer a question someone might ask if the cat has got your tongue.

Have you ever watched children in a classroom when their teacher leaves for a few minutes? When the cat's
<b>away, the mice will play means people sometimes misbehave when there is no supervision.</b>

You may have heard this expression: curiosity killed the cat.This means being too concerned about things
that are not your business might cause problems.

If your home is very small, you might say there is not enough room to swing a cat. But you probably
should not try this at home!

If you ever had cats as pets, you know it is difficult to train them or to get them to do something. Cats are
not like sheep or cows that can be moved in a group. So we say a difficult or impossible job is like herding
<b>cats.</b>

We leave you with a song from the musical play, "Cats."

This VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm
Faith Lapidus.

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Americans use many expressions with the word dog. People in the United States love their dogs and treat
them well. They take their dogs for walks, let them play outside and give them good food and medical care.
However, dogs without owners to care for them lead a different kind of life. The expression, to lead a dog's
<b>life, describes a person who has an unhappy existence.</b>

Some people say we live in a dog-eat-dog world. That means many people are competing for the same
things, like good jobs. They say that to be successful, a person has to work like a dog. This means they have
to work very, very hard. Such hard work can make people dog-tired. And, the situation would be even
worse if they became sick as a dog.

Still, people say every dog has its day. This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his
or her life. To be successful, people often have to learn new skills. Yet, some people say that you can never
<b>teach an old dog new tricks. They believe that older people do not like to learn new things and will not </b>
change the way they do things.

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A junkyard is not a fun place for a dog. Many dogs in the United States sleep in safe little houses near their
owners' home. These doghouses provide shelter. Yet they can be cold and lonely in the winter.

Husbands and wives use this doghouse term when they are angry at each other. For example, a woman
might get angry at her husband for coming home late or forgetting their wedding anniversary. She might tell
him that he is in the doghouse. She may not treat him nicely until he apologizes. However, the husband may
decide that it is best to leave things alone and not create more problems. He might decide to let sleeping
<b>dogs lie.</b>

Dog expressions also are used to describe the weather. The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the

year. A rainstorm may cool the weather. But we do not want it to rain too hard. We do not want it to rain
<b>cats and dogs.</b>

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith
Lapidus.

<b>"Fish" Expressions</b>

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Americans use many expressions about fish and fishing.nbsp; For example, if something sounds fishy, it
may not be true. Sometimes I feel like a fish out of water when I go to a party and everyone but me is
doing the latest dance. When I ask my friend if she likes my new dress, I would like her to say something
nice. In other words, I am fishing for a compliment. You might tell someone to fish or cut bait if he
repeatedly attempts to do something he is unable to do.

Sometimes a lawyer will ask a witness many questions in an effort to discover the facts of a court case. This
is called going on a fishing expedition.

Some expressions involve different kinds of fish. Information that is used to draw attention away from the
real facts of a situation is called a red herring. If you want to express a feeling of surprise, you might cry
<b>"holy mackerel!" although we do not know why a mackerel is holy.</b>

Once I went to a county fair and tried my luck with a game of chance. It was so easy; it was like shooting
<b>fish in a barrel. Then I went on the fastest, highest and most frightening ride: the roller coaster. At the end </b>
of the ride, I did not feel so well. A friend said I looked green around the gills.

I grew up in a small town where everybody knew about my life. There were times when I thought I was
<b>living in a fishbowl. So I moved to Washington, where things were different.</b>

Now I take the train to work every day during rush hour when many other people travel to their jobs.
Sometimes the train is so crowded that we are packed in like sardines. Sardines are tiny fish that lie close
to each other in cans.

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Last week, my sister's car broke down as we were driving to a friend's marriage ceremony. "This is a fine
<b>kettle of fish," I said. "Now we will be late."</b>

My sister attends a small college where she is one of the smartest students. She always wants to be a big
<b>fish in a small pond. Recently, my sister broke up with her boyfriend. I told her not to worry, she will find </b>
another one because there are plenty of other fish in the sea.

This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus. You can find more
<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at voaspecialenglish.com.</b>

<b>"Horse" Expressions</b>

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Today, we tell about "horse" expressions. In the past, many people depended on horses for transportation,
farming and other kinds of work. A lot of people still like to ride horses. And, horse racing is also popular.
So it is not surprising that Americans still use expressions about the animals.

Long ago, people who were rich or important rode horses that were very tall. Today, if a girl acts like she is
better than everyone else, you might say she should get off her high horse.

Yesterday my children wanted me to take them to the playground. But I had to finish my work, so I told
them to hold your horses. Wait until I finish what I am doing. My two boys like to compete against each
other and play in a violent way. I always tell them to stop horsing around or someone could get hurt.

We live in a small town. It does not have any exciting activities to offer visitors. My children call it at a
<b>one-horse town.</b>

Last night, I got a telephone call while I was watching my favorite television show. I decided not to answer
it because wild horses could not drag me away from the television. There was nothing that could stop me
from doing what I wanted to do.

Sometimes you get information straight from the horse's mouth. It comes directly from the person who
knows most about the subject and is the best source. Let us say your teacher tells you there is going to be a
test tomorrow. You could say you got the information straight from the horse's mouth. However, you
would not want to call your teacher a horse!

You may have heard this expression: You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink.
That means you can give someone advice but you cannot force him to do something he does not want to do.
Sometimes a person fights a battle that has been decided or keeps arguing a question that has been settled.
We say this is like beating a dead horse.

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Another piece of advice is, do not change horses in midstream. You would not want to get off one horse
and on to another in the middle of a river. Or make major changes in an activity that has already begun. In
the past, this expression was used as an argument to re-elect a president, especially during a time when the
country was at war.

This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus. You can find more
<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.</b>

<b>"Insect" Expressions</b>

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

There are many American expressions about insects -- like bees, for example. Bees are known as very hard
workers. They always appear to be busy, moving around their homes, or hives. So you might say you were
<b>as busy as a bee if you spent your weekend cleaning your house.</b>

In fact, you might say your house was a beehive of activity if your whole family was helping you clean.
You also might say you made a beeline for something if you went there right away. When we go to see a
movie, my friend always makes a beeline for the place where they sell popcorn.

Here is an expression about bees that is not used much any more, but we like it anyway. We think it was first
used in the nineteen twenties. If something was the best of its kind, you might say it was the bee's knees.
Now, we admit that we do not know how this expression developed. In fact, we do not even know if bees
have knees!

If your friend cannot stop talking about something because she thinks it is important, you might say she has
<b>a bee in her bonnet. If someone asks you a personal question, you might say "that is none of your </b>
<b>beeswax." This means none of your business.</b>

Speaking of personal questions, there is an expression people sometimes use when their children ask, "where
do babies come from?" Parents who discuss sex and reproduction say this is talking about the birds and the
<b>bees.</b>

Hornets are bee-like insects that sometimes attack people. If you are really angry, you might say you are
<b>mad as a hornet. And if you stir up a hornet's nest, you create trouble or problems.</b>

Butterflies are beautiful insects, but you would not want to have butterflies in your stomach. That means to
be nervous about having to do something, like speaking in front of a crowd. You would also not want to
have ants in your pants. That is, to be restless and unable to sit still.

Here are some expressions about plain old bugs, another word for insects. If a friend keeps asking you to do
something you do not want to do, you might ask him to leave you alone or "stop bugging me." A friend also

might tell you again and again to do something. If so, you might say he put a bug in your ear.

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This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus. You can find more
<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at voaspecialenglish.com.</b>

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<b>Monkey Expressions</b>

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Monkeys are very similar to us in many ways. Most have ten fingers and ten toes, and brains much like ours.
We enjoy watching them because they often act like us. In fact, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution says
that monkeys and humans share a common ancestor.

Songwriter William Gilbert, in the musical "Princess Ida", wrote:

"Darwinian man, though well-behaved, at best is only a monkey shaved."

His words -- sung to Sir Arthur Sullivan's music -- make listeners smile. Well, monkeys make us smile, too,
because they are creatures full of playful tricks.

This is why many monkey expressions are about tricky people or playful acts. One of these expressions is
<b>monkeyshines, meaning tricks or foolish acts.</b>

The meaning is clear if you have ever watched a group of monkeys playfully chasing each other: pulling
tails, stealing food, doing tricks. So, when a teacher says to a group of students: "Stop those monkeyshines
right now!" you know that the boys and girls are playing, instead of studying.

You might hear that same teacher warn a student not to monkey around with a valuable piece of equipment.
You monkey around with something when you do not know what you are doing. You are touching or

playing with something you should leave alone.

Also, you can monkey around when you feel like doing something, but have no firm idea of what to do. For
example, you tell your friend you are going to spend the day monkeying around with your car. You do not
have any job or goal in mind. It is just a way to pass the time.

<b>Monkey business usually means secret, maybe illegal, activities. A news report may say there is monkey </b>
business involved in building the new airport, with some officials getting secret payments from builders.
You may make a monkey out of someone when you make that person look foolish. Some people make a
monkey out of themselves by acting foolish or silly.

If one monkey has fun, imagine how much fun a barrel of monkeys can have. If your friend says he had
<b>more fun than a barrel of monkeys at your party, you know that he had a really good time.</b>

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In earlier years in many American cities, you would find men playing musical hand organs on the street.
Dancing to the music would be the man's small monkey dressed in a tight-fitting, colorful jacket similar to a
military uniform. So, people began to call a military uniform a monkey suit.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn Rice
Christiano. Maurice Joyce was the narrator. I'm Shirley Griffith.

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<b>"Pig" and "Hog" Expressions</b>

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Americans often use expressions about animals.

In 2008, the main candidates for president each used this expression: "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it
<b>is still a pig." This means that it is a waste of time to change something from ugly or unpleasant-looking to </b>
beautiful.

There are other expressions about improving a pig's appearance, like this one: "A hog in a silk waistcoat is
<b>still a hog." Hogs are similar to pigs, only bigger. Americans use many other expressions about pigs, hogs </b>
and female hogs called sows. Like this one: "You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." This
means you cannot create something valuable from something that has no value.

<b>In a pig's eye is another unusual expression. It means something that is not so, or will never happen. Then </b>
there is the expression casting pearls before swine. That means wasting something valuable on someone
who will not be thankful or care about it.

However, at least one kind of pig can be useful in saving money. It is called a piggy bank. You can buy a
small container shaped like a pig. It has a hole where a child can put money into it.

Hogs are very large animals. If you say you ate high on the hog during a holiday, it means you ate very
good or costly food. If you went whole hog on your trip, it means you did everything possible to have fun.
But you should never go hog-wild at any time because that means behaving badly.

Hogs take up a lot of space but people should not take up more than their share. If one of your children is
taking up too much space sitting in front of the television, other children might say: "Do not hog the couch."
And a road hog is a driver who uses more than his share of the road. Such a driver increases dangers for
other drivers.

Pig terms are also used in American politics. Farmers mark their pigs' ears to identify them. In politics,
<b>earmarks are money set aside for projects in a congressman's home state or locality. And politicians might </b>
say there is a lot of pork in a budget proposal, meaning wasteful spending.

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this term was first used in the nineteen twenties. But it is believed to come from the much older game of
catching a greased pig. This was a popular event at country fairs in which the winner was awarded the pig.
This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Barbara Klein. You can find more
<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at voaspecialenglish.com.</b>

<b>"Wildcat" Expressions</b>

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
Today, we tell about the word wildcat.

Humans have always depended on animals. From the beginning of human history, wild animals provided
food, clothing and sometimes medicine.

We may not depend as much on wild animals now. But we hear about them every day. Americans use the
names of animals in many ways.

Many companies use animals to make us want to buy their goods. Automobile companies, for example, love
to show fast horses when they are trying to sell their cars. They also name their cars for other fast powerful
animals.

Automobile manufacturers and gasoline companies especially like to use big cats to sell their products. They
like lions, tigers and wildcats.

When Americans say wildcat, they usually mean a lynx, an ocelot or a bobcat. All these cats attack quickly
and fiercely. So wildcats represent something fast and fierce.

What better way is there to sell a car than to say it is as fast as a wildcat. Or, what better way is there to sell
gasoline than to say that using it is like putting a tiger in your tank.

An early American use of the word wildcat was quite different. It was used to describe members of Congress
who declared war on Britain in eighteen twelve. A magazine of that year said the wildcat congressmen
went home. It said they were unable to face the responsibility of having involved their country in an
unnecessary war.

Wildcat also has been used as a name for money. It was used this way in the eighteen hundreds. At that time,
some states permitted banks to make their own money. One bank in the state of Michigan offered paper
money with a picture of a wildcat on it.

Some banks, however, did not have enough gold to support all the paper money they offered. So the money
had little or no value. It was called a wildcat bill or a wildcat bank note. The banks who offered this money
were called wildcat banks.

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Wildcat was used in another way in the eighteen hundreds. It was used for an oil well or gold mine that had
almost no oil or gold in it. Dishonest developers would buy such property. Then they would sell it and leave
town with the money. The buyers were left with worthless holes in the ground. Today, wildcat oil wells are
in areas that are not known to have oil.

Yet another kind of wildcat is the wildcat strike. That is a strike called without official approval by a union.
During World War Two, an American publication accused wildcat strikers of slowing government

production.

This VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories, was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Warren
Scheer.

<b>Expressions with the Word "Eyes"</b>

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Today's program is all about eyes. When it comes to relationships, people's eyes can be a window into their
hearts. This means that their eyes can tell a lot about how they feel. We will tell a story about a man and
woman who are teachers at the same school. The woman is interested in the man. She uses many methods
to catch his eye, or get him to notice her. Once he sets eyes on her, or sees her, she might try to get him
interested in her by acting playful. In other words, she might try to make eyes at him or give him the eye.
Let us suppose that this man gets hit between the eyes. In other words, the woman has a strong affect on
him. He wants to spend time with her to get to know her better. He asks her out on a date.

She is so happy that she may walk around for days with stars in her eyes. She is extremely happy because
this man is the apple of her eye, a very special person. She might tell him that he is the only person she
wants, or "I only have eyes for you."

On their date, the couple might eat a meal together at a restaurant. If the man is really hungry, his eyes
<b>might be bigger than his stomach. He might order more food than he can eat. When his food arrives at the</b>
table, his eyes might pop out. He might be very surprised by the amount of food provided. He might not
even believe his own eyes. If fact, all eyes would be watching him if he ate all the food. This might even
cause raised eyebrows. People might look at the man with disapproval.

During their dinner, the couple might discuss many things. They might discover that they see eye to eye, or
agree on many issues. They share the same beliefs and opinions. For example, they might agree that every
crime or injury should be punished. That is, they firmly believe in the idea of an eye for an eye. They
might also agree that it is wrong to pull the wool over a person's eyes. This means to try to trick a person
by making him believe something that is false. But the man and woman do not believe in the evil eye, that a
person can harm you by looking at you.

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<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, in VOA Special English, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith Lapidus.</b>

<b>Expressions with the Word "Face"</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, a VOA Special English program about American expressions.
I'm Rich Kleinfeldt with expressions that include the word face.

The first is face the music. It means to accept the results of what you have done.

Here is an example from a Reuters news report: Britain's highest court had ruled that former Chilean dictator
Augusto Pinochet was legally arrested. Opponents of General Pinochet welcomed the news. One of them
said, "We have waited for years for this man to face the music."

No one is sure how the expression began. One story is that it came from a military ceremony held when a
soldier was forced out of an army.

The buttons were cut from the soldier's clothing. He was put on a horse, facing the back of the horse and led
away. As he left, he faced the music of a military band and the soldiers he had served with.

Another story says the expression began in the theater. New actors, shaking with fright, were told that the
only cure was to go out and face the music. The music was played by the orchestra seated in front of the
stage.

A similar expression is face up to. It means to accept something that is difficult or painful. For example, a
man must face up to the fact that he lied about a business deal and will lose his job. Or, a child must learn to
face up to her responsibilities and complete her schoolwork.

Meeting someone face-to-face can be exciting, especially if the other person is famous. It is an expression
one might use after visiting the White House and meeting the president face-to-face. Or a teacher might ask
for a face-to-face meeting with the parents of a student in trouble. It means to talk to someone in person, not
by telephone.

Another expression is as plain as the nose on your face. It means that something is as clear as it can
possibly be.

Shakespeare used the words almost five hundred years ago for a joke in his play <i>Two Gentlemen of Verona</i>.
Valentine secretly loves Lady Sylvia. His servant jokes that Valentine's love for her is as hard to see as the
nose on a man's face. Of course, a man's nose cannot be hidden.

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This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Frank Beardsley.
I'm Rich Kleinfeldt.

<b>Expressions with the Word "Hair"</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

A listener named Rita wants to learn about expressions with the word "hair." So we will tell a story.
Yesterday when I woke up, I looked in a mirror. I looked very neat and organized. Not a hair was out of
<b>place. But today when I woke up, I knew I was going to have a bad hair day. My hair was standing up in </b>
all the wrong places. I thought I would be unhappy all day and things would not go well. I work at home so
I just hoped that my computer would work right and not have a bad hair day also.

I was very tired because I did not sleep well last night. I made the mistake of watching a horror movie on
television. The movie really made my hair stand on end. It was about a house possessed by evil spirits.
The thought of having to live alone in a house like that was so frightening it was enough to curl your hair. I
will say it another way: watching that movie was a hair-raising experience.

I prepared a meal for my children but they were behaving badly. I turned on the television so they would be
quiet. I did not want them to be difficult or to get in my hair while I was working on the computer.

My children were making so much noise that I could not work. I was getting angry. In fact, I was ready to

<b>pull my hair out. I told them to please be quiet or I would punish them. But they knew I would not harm a</b>
<b>hair on their heads.</b>

I decided to make myself some strong coffee so I could work better. But my drink was so strong that it
could put hair on your chest.

Finally, I got back to work. I was writing a proposal for a project. I knew that I was very close to finishing
the proposal. Success was very close – within a hair's breadth. My supervisor called me to discuss the
project. She wanted to argue about very small differences and unimportant details. But I told her not to split
<b>hairs.</b>

Later, I got a telephone call from a friend whom I had not seen in a long time. In fact, I had not seen hide
<b>nor hair of him in months. So I was glad to know that he was all right.</b>

I worked all day and finished my project. So I decided to celebrate, have some fun and let my hair down. I
played some old recordings, and my children and I danced around the room. The recordings are from my
favorite musical, a show called "Hair." It takes place during the nineteen sixties when many young people
wore their hair very long.

This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus. You can find other
<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.</b>

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Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
The hand has been a symbol through the ages and in many cultures.

There are hundreds of expressions and combinations of words using hand in the English language. Let us
examine some of the expressions that use hand.

We will get a hand in this way. To get a hand in is to begin a job, to begin to know something about it.
When we learn the job completely, it will be easy for us. We will be able to do it hands down.

If we do the job well, we may end up with the upper hand. And that means to be in control, or to have
gained complete understanding of a situation.

<b>On the other hand, if the situation gets out of hand, then it is out of control. We must act quickly to regain</b>
the upper hand over these expressions.

But, wait. We still do not have the upper hand in this business.

We must consider another way of expressing praise, to hand it to someone. For example: I must hand it to
you for understanding what we have discussed this far.

You can also lend a hand to someone, but without really giving up your hand. You lend a hand when you
help someone. You offer them a helping hand.

If someone is kind enough to lend us a hand, then we surely do not want to bite the hand that feeds us. We
do not want to repay his kindness by treating him badly.

Now, with that out of the way, we have a free hand to continue examining other hand expressions. To have
a free hand in a situation is good. It means you are free to act without getting permission from someone else.
If we continue moving along, we will make progress hand over fist, or very rapidly. This expression began
in the early seventeen hundreds. It reportedly comes from a sailing expression hand over hand, the way of
quickly raising or lowering a sail.

Maybe you can find a friend who wants to take a hand in our project. It would have to be someone who is
interested in these expressions.

Your friend may want to work hand in glove with us. That is good, because that means he wants to work as

closely with us as a glove covers the hand. Of course there is a danger that he may look at our project and
decide to take it in hand. That means he wants to take it over.

If that happens, we may throw up our hands because the situation seems hopeless. In fact, we may decide
that it is time for us to end this project, to wash our hands of hand expressions.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn Rice
Christiano. Maurice Joyce was the narrator. I'm Shirley Griffith.

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<b>Expressions with the Word "Heart" - 1</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. I'm Rich Kleinfeldt with some
expressions using the word heart.

People believed for a long time that the heart was the center of a person's emotions. That is why the word
heart is used in so many expressions about emotional situations.

One such expression is to "lose your heart" to someone. When that happens, you have fallen in love. But if
the person who "won your heart" does not love you, then you are sure to have a "broken heart." In your
pain and sadness, you may decide that the person you loved is "hard-hearted," and in fact, has a "heart of
<b>stone."</b>

You may decide to "pour out your heart" to a friend. Telling someone about your personal problems can
often make you feel better.

If your friend does not seem to understand how painful your broken heart is, you may ask her to "have a
<b>heart." You are asking your friend to show some sympathy for your situation. Your friend "has her heart </b>
<b>in the right place" if she says she is sorry, and shows great concern for how you feel.</b>

Your friend may, however, warn you "not to wear your heart on your sleeve." In other words, do not let
everyone see how lovesick you are. When your heart is on your sleeve you are showing your deepest
emotions.

If your friend says, "my heart bleeds for you," she means the opposite. She is a cold-hearted person who
does not really care about your situation.

In the ever-popular motion picture, The Wizard of Oz, the Tin Man seeks a heart. He wanted to feel the
emotion of love, and was seeking help from the powerful Wizard of Oz to find a heart.

The cowardly lion, in the same movie, did have a heart. But he lacked courage and wanted to ask the
Wizard of Oz to give him some. You could say that the cowardly lion was "chicken-hearted." That is
another way of describing someone who is not very brave. A chicken is not noted for its bravery. Thus,
someone who is chicken-hearted does not have much courage.

When you are frightened or concerned, your "heart is in your mouth." You might say, for example, that your
heart was in your mouth when you asked a bank to lend you some money to pay for a new house.

If that bank says no to you, do not "lose heart." Be "strong-hearted." Sit down with the banker and have a
"heart to heart" talk. Be open and honest about your situation. The bank may "have a change of heart."
It may agree to lend you the money. Then you could stop worrying and "put your heart at rest."

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn
Christiano. I'm Rich Kleinfeldt.

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Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Each week, this program explains the many meanings of English expressions. Today's expressions include a

very important word – heart.

We will try to get to the heart of the matter to better understand the most important things about WORDS
<b>AND THEIR STORIES. So take heart. Have no fear about learning new expressions. Besides, popular </b>
English words can be fun. There is no need for a heavy heart. Such feelings of sadness would only break
<b>my heart, or make me feel unhappy and hopeless.</b>

Now, let us suppose you and I were speaking freely about something private. We would be having a heart
<b>to heart discussion. I might speak from the bottom of my heart, or say things honestly and truthfully. I </b>
might even open up my heart to you and tell a secret. I would speak with all my heart, or with great
feeling.

When a person shares her feelings freely and openly like this, you might say she wears her heart on her
<b>sleeve, or on her clothing. Her emotions are not protected.</b>

If we had an honest discussion, both of us would know that the other person's heart is in the right place.
For example, I would know that you are a kind-hearted and well-meaning person. And, if you are a very
good person, I would even say that you have a heart of gold. However, you might have a change of heart
based on what I tell you. Our discussion might cause you to change the way you feel about something.
But, let us suppose you get angry over what I tell you. Or worse, you feel no sympathy or understanding for
me or my situation. If this happens, I might think that you have a heart of stone. And, if you say something
to make me frightened or worried, my heart might stand still or skip a beat.

Yet, even though you may be angry, I would know that at heart, you are a kind person. In reality, you do
care. And any argument between us would not cause me to lose heart or feel a sense of loss.

<b>My heart goes out to anyone who loses a friend over an argument. It really is a sad situation, and I feel </b>
sympathy for the people involved.

I promise that what I have told you today is true – cross my heart.

I really wanted to play some music at the end of this feature. In fact, I had my heart set on it. So here it is,
"Don't Go Breaking my Heart" by Elton John.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith
Lapidus.

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

People use their mouths for many things. They eat, talk, shout and sing. They smile and they kiss. In the
English language, there are many expressions using the word mouth. But some of them are not so nice.
For example, if you say bad things about a person, the person might protest and say "Do not bad mouth
<b>me."</b>

Sometimes, people say something to a friend or family member that they later regret because hurts that
person's feelings. Or they tell the person something they were not supposed to tell.

The speaker might say: "I really put my foot in my mouth this time." If this should happen, the speaker
might feel down in the mouth. In other words, he might feel sad for saying the wrong thing.

Another situation is when someone falsely claims another person said something. The other person might
protest: "I did not say that. Do not put words in my mouth."

Information is often spread through word of mouth. This is general communication between people, like
friends talking to each other. "How did you hear about that new movie?" someone might ask. "Oh, by word
<b>of mouth." A more official way of getting information is through a company or government mouthpiece. </b>
This is an official spokesperson. Government-run media could also be called a mouthpiece.

Sometimes when one person is speaking, he says the same thing that his friend was going to say. When this
happens, the friend might say: "You took the words right out of my mouth!" Sometimes a person has a
bad or unpleasant experience with another person. He might say that experience "left a bad taste in my
<b>mouth." Or the person might have had a very frightening experience, like being chased by an angry dog. </b>
He might say: "I had my heart in my mouth."

Some people have lots of money because they were born into a very rich family. There is an expression for
this, too. You might say such a person, "was born with a silver spoon in his mouth."

This rich person is the opposite of a person who lives from hand to mouth. This person is very poor and
only has enough money for the most important things in life, like food.

Parents might sometimes withhold sweet food from a child as a form of punishment for saying bad things.
For example, if a child says things she should not say to her parents, she might be described as a mouthy
<b>child. The parents might even tell the child to stop mouthing off.</b>

But enough of all this talk. I have been running my mouth long enough.

<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, in VOA Special English, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith Lapidus.</b>

<b>Expressions with the Words "Nose" and "Ears"</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

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Some people are able to lead other people by the nose. For example, if a wife leads her husband by the
nose, she makes him do whatever she wants him to do.

Some people are said to be hard-nosed. They will not change their opinions or positions on anything. If
someone is hard-nosed, chances are he will never pay through the nose, or pay too much money, for an

object or service.

It is always helpful when people keep their nose out of other people's business. They do not interfere. The
opposite of this is someone who noses around all the time. This kind of person is interested in other

people's private matters. He is considered nosey.

Someone who keeps his nose to the grindstone works very hard. This can help a worker keep his nose
<b>clean or stay out of trouble.</b>

One unusual expression is that is no skin off my nose. This means that a situation does not affect or concern
me. We also say that sometimes a person cuts off his nose to spite his face. That is, he makes a situation
worse for himself by doing something foolish because he is angry.

More problems can develop if a person looks down his nose at someone or something. The person acts like
something is unimportant or worthless. This person might also turn up his nose at something that he
considers not good enough. This person thinks he is better than everyone else. He has his nose in the air.
In school, some students thumb their nose at their teacher. They refuse to obey orders or do any work.
Maybe these students do not know the correct answers. My mother always told me, if you study hard, the
answers should be right under your nose or easily seen.

I think we have explained the nose expressions. What about ears? Well, I hope you are all ears or very
interested in hearing more expressions. We might even put a bug in your ear or give you an idea about
something. We also advise you to keep your ear to the ground. This means to be interested in what is
happening around you and what people are thinking.

If you are a good person, you will lend an ear to your friends. You will listen to them when they have a
problem they need to talk about. Our last expression is to play it by ear. This has two meanings. One is to
play a song on a musical instrument by remembering the tune and not by reading the music. Play it by ear
also means to decide what to do at the last minute instead of making detailed plans.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith
Lapidus.

<b>Expressions That Use Body Parts</b>

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

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When I am facing a lot of pressure at work, my back and neck will start to hurt. Sometimes, this tension is
the result of too much work. I have too many things to do because my supervisor is on my back all the
time. In other words, my employer is always telling me to do things.

Sometimes, I want to tell my employer to get off my back! I want her to stop criticizing me and making too
many demands on my time. I can not say this, however. I would never turn my back on her and refuse to
help when there is a need. If I did refuse to help, my supervisor might say bad things about me behind my
<b>back. She might criticize me when I am not present. This would surely be a stab in the back. It is never </b>
kind to unfairly harm or say bad things about other people.

Sometimes, when I am very productive in my job, my employer gives me a pat on the back. She praises
my work. She might even say "I will scratch your back if you will scratch mine." This means she will
do something for me, if I do something helpful for her in exchange. Such an offer usually comes straight
<b>from the shoulder. My supervisor has a very direct, open and honest way of speaking.</b>

I know that my employer carries a lot on her shoulders. She is responsible for many things at the office.
And because she is so important, she sometimes gets to rub shoulders with the top officials. She gets to
spend time with some very important people.

I believe the top official values my supervisor. He never gives her the cold shoulder. He is never
unfriendly to her. He always treats her like she is an important part of the organization.

I also value my supervisor. In fact, I think she is very effective in her job. Of course, I could yell my
opinion at the top of my lungs, or as loudly as I possibly could. It might even feel good to get my emotions
<b>off my chest. It is always helpful to tell people how you feel so that your emotions do not trouble you. </b>
But it is not necessary for me to praise my supervisor. Most of my co-workers feel the exact same way
about her. So, I think I will just save my breath. I will keep silent because talking or repeating myself will
not do any good.

<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, in VOA Special English, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith Lapidus.</b>

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<b>Health Expressions</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Many professions have their own words and expressions. This is true for the medical profession. Doctors
use many technical terms that most people do not understand. But there are also expressions we use every
day to tell about a person's health. Let me explain.

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My body hurt all over. I also had severe head pains -- a real splitting headache. And I was running a
<b>fever. My body temperature was higher than normal.</b>

At one point, I blacked out. That's right, I was out cold. I lost consciousness and my friend had to bring
<b>me around. He used cold water on my face to restore my consciousness.</b>

I grew concerned that I might take a turn for the worse. I did not want to become sicker because then
surely I would be at death's door.

My friend took me to the doctor. I told the doctor I thought I had come down with a cold. When the doctor
saw me, she immediately wanted to run some tests. She said that medical tests would help her discover
why I was sick. The doctor also asked when I had my last physical. I do not get yearly check-ups. But I
probably should get a medical exam by a doctor every year.

Then the nurse drew my blood. She used a needle to take a small amount of blood from my arm. She sent it
to a laboratory for tests. The nurse also took my temperature. She used a thermometer to measure my
body temperature.

The doctor told me I had influenza, or the flu. But she told me I would recover soon. She said I was over
<b>the worst of the disease. She told me to rest at home and to stay away from other people because the flu can </b>
spread. It is contagious.

Thankfully, I did not have to go under the knife. I did not need an operation. Instead, I did just what the
<b>doctor ordered. I went home and did exactly what was needed to become healthy again. Soon, I was on </b>
<b>the mend. I was pulling through and recovering from my sickness.</b>

Now, I am back on my feet. I am physically healthy again. Even better, the doctor has given me a clean
<b>bill of health. She says that I am one-hundred percent cured. I am back to normal and I feel great. In fact, I</b>
<b>feel on top of the world. My friends say I now look like the picture of health.</b>

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith
Lapidus.

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<b>Color Expressions</b>

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Every people has its own way of saying things, its own special expressions. Many everyday American
expressions are based on colors.

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Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The
expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. It probably comes from the
fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health.

Blue is a cool color. The traditional blues music in the United States is the opposite of red hot music. Blues
is slow, sad and soulful. Duke Ellington and his orchestra recorded a famous song – Mood Indigo – about
the deep blue color, indigo. In the words of the song: "You ain't been blue till you've had that Mood Indigo."
Someone who is blue is very sad.

The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a
sick feeling stomach may say she feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from
high waves may look very green.

Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a fast new
car. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more
dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because that is the color of the back side of the paper
money.

The color black is used often in expressions. People describe a day in which everything goes wrong as a
<b>black day. The date of a major tragedy is remembered as a black day. A blacklist is illegal now. But at one</b>
time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular

organizations.

In some cases, colors describe a situation. A brown out is an expression for a reduction in electric power.
Brown outs happen when there is too much demand for electricity. The electric system is unable to offer all

the power needed in an area. Black outs were common during World War Two. Officials would order all
lights in a city turned off to make it difficult for enemy planes to find a target in the dark of night.

I'm Warren Scheer. Listen again next week for another WORDS AND THEIR STORIES program in
Special English on the Voice of America.

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<b>Green Expressions</b>

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of
most growing plants.

Sometimes, the word green means young, fresh and growing. Sometimes, it describes something that is not
yet ripe or finished.

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About one hundred years ago, greenhorn was a popular expression in the American west. Old-timers used it
to describe a man who had just arrived from one of the big cities back east. The greenhorn lacked the skills
he would need to live in the hard, rough country.

Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb. The expression comes from
the early nineteen hundreds.

A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You
might say that the woman next door has a green thumb if her garden continues to grow long after your
plants have died.

The Green Revolution is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other
grains. The new plants produced much larger crops. The Green Revolution was the result of hard work by
agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.

Green is also the color used to describe the powerful emotion, jealousy. The green-eyed monster is not a
frightening creature from outer space. It is an expression used about four hundred years ago by British
writer William Shakespeare in his play "Othello."

It describes the unpleasant feeling a person has when someone has something he wants. A young man may
<b>suffer from the eyed monster if his girlfriend begins going out with someone else. Or, that </b>
green-eyed monster may affect your friend if you get a pay raise and she does not.

In most places in the world, a green light is a sign to move ahead. A green light on a traffic signal means
your car can continue on. In everyday speech, a green light means approval to continue with a project. We
want you to know we have a green light to continue this series next week.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn
Christiano. I'm Warren Scheer.

<b>Expressions That Come From Farming</b>

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

In the early days of human history, people survived by hunting wild animals, or gathering wild grains and
plants for food. Then, some people learned to grow crops and raise animals for food. They were the first
farmers.

Since the sixteenth century, the word farm has meant agricultural land. But a much older meaning of the
word farm is linked to economics. The word farm comes from the Latin word, firma, which means an

unchanging payment.

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In England, farmers used hawthorn trees along the edges of property. They called this row of hawthorns a
<b>hedge.</b>

Hedging fields was how careful farmers marked and protected them.

Soon, people began to use the word hedging to describe steps that could be taken to protect against financial
loss.

Hedging is common among gamblers who make large bets. A gambler bets a lot of money on one team.
But, to be on the safe side, he also places a smaller bet on the other team, to reduce a possible loss.

You might say that someone is hedging his bet when he invests in several different kinds of businesses.
One business may fail, but likely not all.

Farmers know that it is necessary to make hay while the sun shines.

Hay has to be cut and gathered when it is dry. So a wise farmer never postpones gathering his hay when the
sun is shining. Rain may soon appear.

A wise person copies the farmer. He works when conditions are right.

A new mother, for example, quickly learns to try to sleep when her baby is quiet, even in the middle of the
day. If the mother delays, she may lose her chance to sleep. So, the mother learns to make hay while the sun
shines.

Beans are a popular farm crop. But beans are used to describe something of very little value in the
expression, not worth a hill of beans. The expression is often used today.

You could say, for example, that a bad idea is not worth a hill of beans.

Language expert Charles Earle Funk said the expression was first used almost seven hundred years ago. He
said Robert of Gloucester described a message from the King of Germany to King John of England as
<b>altogether not worth a bean.</b>

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn Rice
Christiano. Maurice Joyce was the narrator. I'm Shirley Griffith.

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<b>Military Expressions</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

This is Phil Murray with WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, a program in Special English on the Voice of
America. We tell about some common expressions in American English.

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After the American Civil War in the eighteen sixties, a writer in a publication called Beadle's Monthly used
the word doughboy to describe Civil War soldiers. But word expert Charles Funk says that early writer
could not explain where the name started.

About twenty years later, someone did explain. She was the wife of the famous American general George
Custer.

Elizabeth Custer wrote that a doughboy was a sweet food served to Navy men on ships. She also said the
name was given to the large buttons on the clothes of soldiers. Elizabeth Custer believed the name changed
over time to mean the soldiers themselves.

Now, we probably most often think of doughboys as the soldiers who fought for the Allies in World War
One.

By World War Two, soldiers were called other names. The one most often heard was GI, or GI Joe. Most
people say the letters GI were a short way to say general issue or government issue. The name came to mean
several things. It could mean the soldier himself. It could mean things given to soldiers when they joined the
military such as weapons, equipment or clothes. And, for some reason, it could mean to organize, or clean.
Soldiers often say, "We GI'd the place." And when an area looks good, soldiers may say the area is "GI."
Strangely, though, GI can also mean poor work, a job badly done.

Some students of military words have another explanation of GI. They say that instead of government issue
or general issue, GI came from the words galvanized iron. The American soldier was said to be like

galvanized iron, a material produced for special strength. The Dictionary of Soldier Talk says GI was used
for the words galvanized iron in a publication about the vehicles of the early twentieth century.

Today, a doughboy or GI may be called a grunt. Nobody is sure of the exact beginning of the word. But,
the best idea probably is that the name comes from the sound that troops make when ordered to march long
distances carrying heavy equipment.

A member of the United States Marines also has a strange name -- leatherneck. It is thought to have started
in the eighteen hundreds. Some say the name comes from the thick collars of leather early Marines wore
around their necks to protect them from cuts during battles. Others say the sun burned the Marines' necks
until their skin looked like leather.

This Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Phil
Murray.

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<b>Sailors Are Responsible for Many Expressions</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

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Simple words like "right" and "left" are not the same. On a ship, "right" is "starboard." And "left" is "port."
Sailors also are responsible for many colorful English expressions.

One of these is six. It means to hide something or put it where it will not be found. You can also
deep-six,or reject a proposal.

One language expert says that deep six is the bottom of the ocean. "Deep," in this case, means deepest. The
"six" in the expression comes from the six feet that make up a fathom -- which is a little less than two
meters.

Sailors measure the depth of the water in fathoms. Thus, the deep six is the deepest fathom...the final six feet
at the bottom of the ocean. A sailor who never wants to see something again will give it the deep-six. He
will drop it from the ship to the ocean bottom.

You can deep-six something even if you are not a sailor. All you do is throw it away or put it where it will
never be found. You might, for example, deep-six an unpleasant letter from a former friend.

Another expression linked to sailing is batten down the hatches. That is what sailors do to prepare their
ship for a storm at sea.

Battens are thin pieces of wood. Hatches are the openings in the deck. Before a storm, sailors cover the
hatches with waterproof material. Then they nail on battens to hold the hatch coverings firmly in place. This
keeps rain and waves out of the ship.

Now, people use the expression to mean to prepare for dealing with any kind of trouble.

A news report, for example, might say that people in Washington were battening down the hatches for a big

winter storm. Or a newspaper might report that "defense lawyers were 'battening down the hatches' for
testimony by someone who observed the crime."

An old expression of the sailors that is still heard is to sail under false colors. Experts on language say the
expression was born more than two hundred fifty years ago, when pirates sailed the seas, attacking and
robbing trade ships.

Pirate ships often flew the flag of a friendly country as they sailed toward the ship they planned to rob. They
sailed under false colors until they were close enough to attack. Then the pirates pulled down the false flag,
and showed their true colors. They raised the pirate flag -- with its picture of a skull and crossed bones.
Today, a person, not a ship, is said to sail under false colors. Such a person appears to be something he is
not. His purpose is to get something from you. If you are careful, you will soon see his true colors, and have
nothing to do with him.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn Christiano.
This is Warren Scheer.

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Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

The Italians have an old saying, <i>"Il dolce far niente."</i> 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, <i>baas</i>,
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
<b>brass. Or he might have been called a brass hat. Or, even the top brass.</b>

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
<b>cheese. A cheese is a solid food made from milk.</b>

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.

Other experts say the word cheese in this expression was really an incorrect way of saying chief. The word
chief means leader. So the expression may mean big leader.

An employer usually does not object to being called boss. But most workers would not call their employers
<b>big cheeses, top brass or brass hats to their faces.</b>

These words are not really insulting. But neither do they show great respect.

Employers also have expressions to describe their workers. One of them that describes a good worker is that
he or she works like a Trojan.

This expression probably comes from the ancient writings of the Greek poet Homer. He wrote about the
Trojans who lived in the city of Troy. He said Trojans worked very hard to protect their city.

Now, the expression often is used to describe an employee who works hard for a company. A loyal,
hard-working employee is said to work like a Trojan.

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This Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Susan
Clark.

<b>Money" Expressions - 1</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

I think people everywhere dream about having lots of money. I know I do. I would give anything to make
<b>money hand over fist. I would like to earn large amounts of money. You could win a large amount of </b>
money in the United States through lotteries. People pay money for tickets with numbers. If your

combination of numbers is chosen, you win a huge amount of money – often in the millions. Winning the
lottery is a windfall.

A few years ago, my friend Al won the lottery. It changed his life. He did not have a rich family. He was not
<b>born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Instead, my friend was always hard up for cash. He did not have </b>
much money. And the money he did earn was chicken feed – very little.

Sometimes Al even had to accept hand-outs, gifts from his family and friends. But do not get me wrong.
My friend was not a deadbeat. He was not the kind of person who never paid the money he owed. He
simply pinched pennies. He was always very careful with the money he spent. In fact, he was often a
<b>cheapskate. He did not like to spend money. The worst times were when he was flat broke and had no </b>
money at all.

One day, Al scraped together a few dollars for a lottery ticket. He thought he would never strike it rich or

gain lots of money unexpectedly. But his combination of numbers was chosen and he won the lottery. He hit
<b>the jackpot. He won a great deal of money.</b>

Al was so excited. The first thing he did was buy a costly new car. He splurged on the one thingthat he
normally would not buy. Then he started spending money on unnecessary things. He started to waste it. It
was like he had money to burn. He had more money than he needed and it was burning a hole in his
<b>pocket so he spent it quickly.</b>

When we got together for a meal at a restaurant, Al paid every time. He would always foot the bill, and pick
<b>up the tab. He told me the money made him feel like a million dollars. He was very happy.</b>

But, Al spent too much money. Soon my friend was down and out again. He had no money left. He was
back to being strapped for cash. He had spent his bottom dollar, his very last amount. He did not even
build up a nest egg. He had not saved any of the money.

I admit I do feel sorry for my friend. He had enough money to live like a king. Instead, he is back to living
<b>on a shoestring -- a very low budget. Some might say he is penny wise and pound foolish. He was wise </b>
about small things, but not about important things.

<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, in VOA Special English, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith Lapidus.</b>

</div>
<span class='text_page_counter'>(29)</span><div class='page_container' data-page=29>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Most people enjoy working for several reasons. Their job might be fun, or they like their employer and the
other people at work. Most people I know, however, work for the money. I do not know anyone who is
<b>loaded, or extremely rich. Most of my friends work to earn enough money to live. They have to make ends </b>
<b>meet. They have to earn enough money to pay for the things they need. Some even live from hand to </b>
<b>mouth. They only have enough money for the most important things.</b>

They struggle to earn enough money to bring home the bacon. It can be difficult to earn enough money for
a family to survive. Sometimes, poor people even get caught short. They do not have enough money to pay
for what they need.

Or they have to spend or lay out more money than they want for something. When this happens, poor people
have to tighten their belts and live on less money than usual. I hate when I have to live on less money. It
takes me longer to get back on my feet, or return to good financial health.

However, other people are on the gravy train. They get paid more money than their job is worth. These
people make a bundle. They really rake in the cash. In fact, they make so much money that they can live
<b>high off the hog. They own the best of everything and live in great ease. Sometimes they pay an arm and a</b>
<b>leg for something.</b>

Because money is no object to wealthy people, they will pay high prices for whatever they want.
Sometimes, they even pay through the nose. They pay too much for things.

I am not rich. I did not make a killing in the stock market when my stocks increased in value. Yet, I am not
poor either. When I go out with friends, I do not want to shell out or pay a lot of money. Often, my friends
and I will chip in or pay jointly for a fun night out. When we go to restaurants the meal is Dutch treat.
Each person pays his or her own share.

Once, the owner of a restaurant gave us a dinner on the house. We did not have to pay for our meals.

However, I admit that we had to grease someone's palm. We had to pay money to the employee who led us
to our table. The money was for a special request. Yes, it was a buy off. The employee put us at the top of
the list for a table instead of making us wait like everyone else. We had a great time that night and the meal
did not set me back at all. I did not have to pay anything.

Because of that experience, I will always remember that nice things still happen in a world that is driven by

money. But, that is just my two cents worth. It is just my opinion.

<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, in VOA Special English, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith Lapidus.</b>

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<b>"Money" Expressions - 3</b>

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Many people believe that money makes the world go around. Others believe that money buys happiness. I
do not agree with either idea. But I do admit that money can make people do strange things. Let me tell you
about a person I once knew who liked to play card games for money. He liked to gamble.

My friend Bob had a problem because he liked to gamble at all costs. He would play at any time and at any
price. To take part in a card game such as poker, my friend would have to ante up. He would have to pay a
small amount of money at the beginning of the game.

Bob always played with cold, hard cash --only coins and dollar bills. Sometimes my friend would clean
<b>up. He would win a lot of money on one card game. He liked to tell me that one day he would break the </b>
<b>bank. What a feeling it must be to win all of the money at a gambling table!</b>

Other times my friend would simply break even. He neither won nor lost money. But sometimes Bob
would lose his shirt. He would lose all the money he had. He took a beating at the gambling table. When
this happened, my friend would have to go in the hole. He would go into debt and owe people money.
Recently, Bob turned to crime after losing all his money. In his job, he kept the books for a small business.
He supervised the records of money earned and spent by the company. Although my friend was usually
honest, he decided to cook the books. He illegally changed the financial records of the company. This
permitted him to make a fast buck. My friend made some quick, easy money dishonestly.

I never thought Bob would have sticky fingers. He did not seem like a thief who would steal money. But,

some people will do anything for love of money.

Bob used the money he stole from his company to gamble again. This time, he cashed in. He made a lot of
money. Quickly he was back on his feet. He had returned to good financial health. His company, however,
ended up in the red. It lost more money than it earned. The company was no longer profitable.

It did not take long before my friend's dishonesty was discovered. The company investigated and charged
him with stealing. Bob tried to pass the buck. He tried to blame someone else for the deficit. His lie did not
work, however. He ended up in jail. Today, I would bet my bottom dollar that my friend will never
gamble again. I would bet all I have that he learned his lesson about gambling.

<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, in VOA Special English, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith Lapidus.</b>

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<b>Special Terms in the World of Business</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
There are many special terms in the world of business.

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I had started a small company several years ago. I worked hard to make it successful. It was a sign-making
business. It was a small company, not a blue chip company. It was not known nationally for the quality of
its signs. It did not make millions of dollars in profits. And it was private. It was not a public company with
shares traded on the stock market.

Still, I worked hard building up my business. I did not work only a few hours each day -- no banker's hours
for me. Instead I spent many hours each day, seven days a week, trying to grow the company. I never cut
<b>corners or tried to save on expenses. I made many cold calls. I called on possible buyers from a list of </b>
people I had never seen. Such calls were often hard sells. I had to be very firm.

Sometimes I sold my signs at a loss. I did not make money on my product. When this happened, there were
<b>cut backs. I had to use fewer supplies and reduce the number of workers. But after several years, the </b>
company broke even. Profits were equal to expenses. And soon after, I began to gain ground. My signs
were selling very quickly. They were selling like hotcakes.

I was happy. The company was moving forward and making real progress. It was in the black, not in the
<b>red. The company was making money, not losing it.</b>

My friend knew about my business. He is a leader in the sign-making industry – a real big gun, if you know
what I mean. He offered to buy my company. My friend wanted to take it public. He wanted to sell shares
in the company to the general public.

My friend believed it was best to strike while the iron is hot. He wanted to take action at the best time
possible and not wait. He offered me a ball park estimate of the amount he would pay to buy my company.
But I knew his uneducated guess was low. My company was worth much more. He asked his bean-counter
to crunch the numbers. That is, he asked his accountant to take a close look at the finances of my company
and decide how much it was worth. Then my friend increased his offer.

My friend's official offer was finally given to me in black and white. It was written on paper and more than
I ever dreamed. I was finally able to get a break. I made a huge profit on my company, and my friend also
got a bang for the buck. He got a successful business for the money he spent.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith
Lapidus.

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<b>Stock Market Expressions</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

I'm Phil Murray with WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, a program in Special English on the Voice of
America.

Today we tell about some American expressions that are commonly used in business.

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This noisy place is a stock exchange. Here expert salespeople called brokers buy and sell shares of

companies. The shares are known as stocks. People who own stock in a company, own part of that company.
People pay brokers to buy and sell stocks for them. If a company earns money, its stock increases in value.
If the company does not earn money, the stock decreases in value.

Brokers and investors carefully watch for any changes on the Big Board. That is the name given to a list of
stocks sold on the New York Stock Exchange.

The first written use of the word with that meaning was in a newspaper in Illinois in eighteen thirty-seven. It
said: "The sales on the board were one thousand seven hundred dollars in American gold."

Investors and brokers watch the Big Board to see if the stock market is a bull market or a bear market. In a
bear market, prices go down. In a bull market, prices go up.

Investors in a bear market promise to sell a stock in the future at a set price. But the investor does not own
the stock yet. He or she waits to buy it when the price drops.

The meaning of a bear market is thought to come from an old story about a man who sold the skin of a bear
before he caught the bear. An English dictionary of the sixteen hundreds said, "To sell a bear is to sell what
one has not."

Word experts dispute the beginnings of the word bull in the stock market. But some say it came from the
long connection of the two animals -- bulls and bears -- in sports that were popular years ago in England.

Investors are always concerned about the possibility of a company failing. In the modern world, a company
that does not earn enough profit is said to go belly up. A company that goes belly up dies like a fish. Fish
turn over on their backs when they die. So they are stomach, or belly, up.

Stock market investors do not want that to happen to a company. They want a company whose stock they
own to earn more profit than expected. This would sharply increase the value of the stock. Investors are
hoping for a windfall.

The word windfall comes from England of centuries ago. There, poor people were banned from cutting trees
in forests owned by rich land owners. But, if the wind blew down a tree, a poor person could take the wood
for fuel. So a windfall is something wonderful that happens unexpectedly.

This Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jeri Watson. This is Phil
Murray.

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<b>Financial Words and Expressions Used in Business</b>

<b>and the Stock Market</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

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I'm Rich Kleinfeldt with some financial words and expressions used in business and the stock market.
Our first expression is "in the red." It is another way of saying that a business is losing money. In the past,
numbers in the financial records of a company were written in red ink to show a loss.

A business magazine recently published a report about a television company. The report said the company
was still in the red, but was able to cut its loss from the year before.

A profit by a business is written in black numbers. So a company that is "in the black" is making money.

An international news service reported that a private health insurer in Australia announced it was "back in
the black with its first profit in three years."

Another financial expression is "run on the bank." That is what happens when many people try to
withdraw all their money from a bank. A "run on the bank" usually happens when people believe there is
danger a bank may fail or close.

Newspaper reports about a banking crisis in Russia used that expression. They said the government acted
because of fears that the crisis would cause a run on the banks. "When a run on the banks was starting, there
was not much they could do," said a banking expert.

"Day trading" is a system that lets investors trade directly on an electronic market system. The system is
known as NASDAQ, short for The National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation. It was
the first completely computerized stock market. It sells stocks of companies not listed on any stock

exchange. Many high technology companies are listed on it.

Day trading companies provide a desk and a computer system to an investor who wants to trade. Individuals
must provide fifty thousand dollars or more to the trading company to pay for the stocks they buy.

Thousands of other investors do day trading from computers in their homes.

A day trader watches stock prices carefully. When he sees a stock rise in price, he uses the computer to buy
shares of the stock. If the stock continues to rise in price in the next few minutes, the day trader sells the
shares quickly to make a small profit. Then he looks for another stock to buy. If a stock goes down instead
of up, he sells it and accepts the loss.

The idea is to make a small profit many times during the day. Day traders may buy and sell stocks hundreds
of times each day.

Many day traders lose all their money in a week or so. Only about thirty percent succeed in earning enough
from their efforts to continue day trading.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Frank Beardsley.
This is Rich Kleinfeldt.

<b>Money Talks, It's a Jungle Out There, ...</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

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<span class='text_page_counter'>(34)</span><div class='page_container' data-page=34>

People often say that money talks. They mean that a person with a lot of money can say how he or she
wants things done. But it is not easy to earn enough money to gain this kind of power.

Ask anyone in a business. They will tell you that it is a jungle out there. The expression probably began
because the jungle is filled with wild animals and unknown dangers that threaten people. Sometimes people
in business feel competing businesses are as dangerous as wild animals. And they feel that unknown dangers
in the business world threaten the survival of their business.

People in business have to be careful if they are to survive the jungle out there. They must not be led into
making bogus investments. Bogus means something that is not real.

Nobody is sure how the word got started. But it began to appear in American newspapers in the eighteen
hundreds. A newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts, said the word came from a criminal whose name was
Borghese. The newspaper said Borghese wrote checks to people although he did not have enough money in
the bank. After he wrote the checks, he would flee from town. So, people who were paid with his checks
received nothing. The newspaper said Americans shortened and changed the criminal's name Borghese, to
bogus.

People trying to earn money also must be aware of being ripped off. A person who is ripped off has had
something stolen, or at least has been treated very unfairly.

A writer for the magazine "American Speech" said he first saw the expression used in nineteen seventy-one.
It was on a sign that a student carried during a protest demonstration at a university. The message on the sign
was that the student felt ripped off, or cheated.

Perhaps the best way to prevent getting ripped off in business is to not try to get rich quickly. To be
successful, a person in business works hard and tries to get down to brass tacks.

This expression means to get to the bottom or most important part of something. For example, a salesman
may talk and talk about his product without saying the price. You get down to brass tacks when you say, "it
sounds good, but how much does it cost."

Word expert Charles Funk thinks the expression comes from sailors on ships. They clean the bottom of a
boat. When they have removed all the dirt, they are down to the brass tacks, the copper pieces that hold the
boat together.

So, if we get down to brass tacks, we can prevent ripoffs and bogus ways of earning money in that jungle out
there. And, some good luck will help, too.

This WORDS AND THEIR STORIES was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Susan Clark.

<b>Talking About Economic Troubles</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

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A dime is a piece of money whose value is one-tenth of a dollar. Today, a dime does not buy much. But it
was different in the nineteen thirties. A dime sometimes meant the difference between eating and starving.
The American economy today is much better. Yet, many workers are concerned about losing their jobs as
companies re-organize.

Americans have special ways of talking about economic troubles. People in businesses may say they feel the
pinch. Or they may say they are up against it. Or, if things are really bad, they may say they have to throw
in the towel.

A pinch is painful pressure. To feel the pinch is to suffer painful pressure involving money.

The expression, feel the pinch, has been used since the sixteenth century. The famous English writer
William Shakespeare wrote something very close to this in his great play "King Lear."

King Lear says he would accept necessity's sharp pinch. He means he would have to do without many of the
things he always had.

Much later, the Times of London newspaper used the expression about bad economic times during the
eighteen sixties. It said, "so much money having been spent ... All classes felt the pinch."

Worse than feeling the pinch is being up against it. The saying means to be in a lot of trouble.

Word expert James Rogers says the word "it" in the saying can mean any and all difficulties. He says the
saying became popular in the United States and Canada in the late nineteenth century. Writer George Ade
used it in a book called "Artie." He wrote, "I saw I was up against it."

Sometimes a business that is up against it will have to throw in the towel. This means to accept defeat or
surrender.

Throwing in the towel may mean that a company will have to declare bankruptcy. The company will have to
take legal steps to let people know it has no money to pay its debts.

Word expert Charles Funk says an eighteen seventy-four publication called the Slang Dictionary explains
throwing in the towel. It says the words probably come from the sport of boxing, or prizefighting. The book
says the saying began because a competitor's face was cleaned with a cloth towel or other material. When a

boxer's towel was thrown, it meant he was admitting defeat.

Most businesses do not throw in the towel. They just re-organize so they can compete better.
This WORDS AND THEIR STORIES was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Susan Clark.

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<b>Get Your Act Together & Cut to the Chase</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

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A woman from Japan was telling a friend about her trip to the United States. The woman had visited major
businesses and investment companies in New York City and Chicago.

"I studied English before I left home, " she said. "But I still was not sure that people were speaking English."
Her problem is easy to understand. Americans in business are like people who are in business anywhere.
They have a language of their own. Some of the words and expressions deal with the special areas of their
work. Other expressions are borrowed from different kinds of work such as the theater and movie industry.
One such saying is get your act together.

When things go wrong in a business, an employer may get angry. He may shout, "Stop making mistakes.
<b>Get your act together."</b>

Or, if the employer is calmer, he may say, "Let us get our act together."

Either way, the meaning is the same. Getting your act together is getting organized. In business, it usually
means to develop a calm and orderly plan of action.

It is difficult to tell exactly where the saying began. But, it is probable that it was in the theater or movie
industry. Perhaps one of the actors was nervous and made a lot of mistakes. The director may have said,
"Calm down, now. Get your act together."

Word expert James Rogers says the expression was common by the late nineteen seventies. Mr. Rogers says
the Manchester Guardian newspaper used it in nineteen seventy-eight. The newspaper said a reform policy
required that the British government get its act together.

Now, this expression is heard often when officials of a company meet. One company even called its yearly
report, "Getting Our Act Together."

The Japanese visitor was confused by another expression used by American business people. It is cut to the
<b>chase.</b>

She heard that expression when she attended an important meeting of one company. One official was giving
a very long report. It was not very interesting. In fact, some people at the meeting were falling asleep.

Finally, the president of the company said, "Cut to the chase."

Cut to the chase means to stop spending so much time on details or unimportant material. Hurry and get to
the good part.

Naturally, this saying was started by people who make movies. Hollywood movie producers believe that
most Americans want to see action movies. Many of their movies show scenes in which the actors chase
each other in cars, or in airplanes or on foot.

Cut is the director's word for stop. The director means to stop filming, leave out some material, and get to the
chase scene now.

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<b>Battle-Axe & Bear the Brunt</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Jane Smith is president of a large sales company in a city on the American West Coast. For years her
company has made large profits. It has done well, even during bad economic times.

Miss Smith pays her workers well. She gives them many holidays. And last year, she increased the
company's payments for employees who could not work because of sickness.

You probably think that Miss Smith's employees like her very much. But some do not. Some of her workers
say she is a battle axe. They consider her a pushy, demanding woman.

A battle is an armed fight. And an axe is a tool for cutting trees. Word expert Christine Ammer says the two
words were joined in the early nineteen hundreds. During those days, people began to call a fierce-acting
woman a battle-axe. Soon the saying became popular.

In recent years, many women have protested the use of the word battle-axe. They say it is sexist. A comment
or action that insults someone of the opposite sex is considered sexist.

But some people say calling a woman a battle-axe may not be an insult. Almost two thousand years ago, the
Goths used battle-axes. The axes were very strong and sharp. They could cut through the heavy metal armor
that Romans wore to protect themselves. The battle-axe permitted the Goths to win battles against the
Romans. The Romans, at the time, were feared fighters.

So a woman who is a battle-axe may be a strong, sharp competitor in business. Many people praise men for
being that way.

Sometimes employees believe their company leaders receive too much of the company's earnings. The
employees suspect both men and women bosses of wanting too much money. Yet the leaders also bear the
<b>brunt of concern for the business.</b>

What does this saying mean?

<b>Bear can mean to carry. And brunt means the major part. To bear the brunt is to carry the major part of the </b>
responsibility for something.

The leaders of a company are responsible for how well the company does. Employees may work hard during
the day. But most of them leave their work behind when they leave the office. The employer often works late
and takes work home.

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So, perhaps Miss Smith, our businesswoman in California, is doing a good job. She may be called a
battle-axe. But she is bearing the brunt of the responsibility for keeping her company competitive.

This Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jeri Watson. This is
Susan Clark.

<b>Expressions Using the Number One</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Today I will tell about expressions using numbers. Let us start with the number one. Numbers can be tricky.
<b>On the one hand, they are simply numbers. On the other hand, they have meanings. I for one use these </b>
expressions a lot.

Many people consider themselves number one, the most important person. They are always looking out for
<b>number one and taking care of number one. It is as if they are the one and only person on Earth. Some </b>
people however, are not so self-centered. My brother is such a person. It is true – no joke. I am not trying to
<b>pull a fast one on you.</b>

First, you have to understand that my brother is one in a million. He is such a nice person. All his friends

like him. They consider him one of the boys. Recently, my brother had a bad day at the office. It was just
<b>one of those days. Nothing went right. So he stopped at a local bar -- a drinking place -- after leaving work. </b>
My brother planned to have a glass of beer with his friends -- a quick one – before he went home. But a
<b>quick one turned into one or two, and soon those became one too many.</b>

As my brother was leaving, he ordered a last drink -- one for the road. His friends became concerned. One
<b>by one, they asked him if he was able to drive home safely.</b>

Now my brother is a wise and calm person. He is at one with himself. He recognizes when he has had too
much alcohol to drink. So he accepted an offer for a ride home from a female friend.

<b>At one time in the past, my brother had been in love with this woman. She is a great person -- kind, </b>

thoughtful and intelligent -- all good qualities rolled up into one. But sadly their relationship did not work.
He always used to say "One of these days, I am going to marry this girl." But that never happened.

<b>For one thing, she did not love him as much as he loved her. It was just one of those things. The situation </b>
was regrettable and my brother had to accept it. But even now, he considers her the one that got away.
However, they are still friends. And because my brother had been kind to her, she felt that one good turn
<b>deserves another. He was good to her and she wanted to help him in return. So she drove him home.</b>
If my brother had driven home from the bar that night, his number would have been up. Something bad
would have happened. Thankfully he made it home safely. And, he and the woman are back to square one.
They are back to where they started – being friends.

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<b>Expressions Using Numbers Other Than One</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Last week, I told about the number one. Today, I will tell about expressions using other numbers.

Some problems are difficult to solve. But there are a lot of number expressions that can help. For example, if
we put two and two together, we might come up with the right answer. We know that two heads are
<b>better than one. It is always better to work with another person to solve a problem.</b>

Sometimes there are no two ways about it. Some problems have only one solution. You cannot be of two
<b>minds over this.</b>

But with any luck, we could solve the problem in two shakes of a lamb's tail. We could have our answers
quickly and easily.

Sometimes we can kill two birds with one stone. That is, we can complete two goals with only one effort or
action. But we must remember that two wrongs don't make a right. If someone does something bad to
you, you should not do the same to him.

If you are going out with your girlfriend, or boyfriend, you do not want another friend to go along on your
date. You can just say to your friend: two's company, three's a crowd.

When I was a young child in school, I had to learn the three R's. These important skills are reading, writing
and arithmetic. These three words do not all start with the letter "R." But they have the sound of "R." My
teachers used to give three cheers when I did well in math. They gave praise and approval for a job well
done.

Some of my friends were confused and did not understand their schoolwork. They were at sixes and
<b>sevens. In fact, they did not care if they finished high school. They saw little difference between the two </b>
choices. Six of one, half a dozen the other – that was their position. But they were really happy when they
completed their studies and graduated from high school. They were in seventh heaven. They were on cloud
<b>nine.</b>

<b>Nine times out of ten, students who do well in school find good jobs. Some work in an office doing the </b>
same things every day at nine-to-five jobs. You do not have to dress to the nines, or wear your best
clothes, for this kind of work.

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This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith
Lapidus.

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<b>Some People's Names Have Special Meanings in </b>

<b>American Expressions</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

A person's name is very important. Some names also have special meanings in popular American

expressions. To better understand what I mean, sit back and listen. You might even want to get a cup of
<b>Joe, I mean, a cup of coffee.</b>

One day, an average Joe was walking down the street. An average Joe is a common person – either male or
female. This average Joe was lost. He did not know Jack about where he was going. By this, I mean he
did not know anything about where to find things in the city.

So average Joe asked

<b>John Q. Public</b>

for directions to the nearest bank. John Q. Public is

also a common person – male or female.

"Jeez Louise," said John Q. Public. This is an expression of surprise. "Jeez Louise, don't you know that all

banks are closed today? It is Saturday."

"

<b>For Pete's sake</b>

," said average Joe. This is also an expression used to show a feeling like

surprise or disappointment.

"For Pete's sake. I do not believe you," said average Joe. He was being a doubting Thomas, someone who
does not believe anything he is told.

At that moment,

<b>Joe Blow</b>

was walking down the street with a woman. Joe Blow is also an

expression for a common man. Now this Joe Blow was NOT walking next to

<b>a plain Jane</b>

.

A plain Jane is a woman who is neither ugly nor pretty. She is simply plain. No, the woman

with Joe Blow was a real

<b>Sheila</b>

– a beautiful woman.

Average Joe asked the woman if all banks were closed on Saturday. "No way, Jose," she answered. This is
a way of saying "no." "No way, Jose. Many banks are open on Saturdays."

Average Joe

<b>did not know either of these two people from Adam</b>

. That is, he did not

know them at all. But he followed their directions to the nearest bank.

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"I am here to withdraw some money so I can pay my taxes to

<b>Uncle Sam</b>

," said average Joe.

Uncle Sam represents the United States government. The banker produced some papers and

told average Joe to sign his

<b>John Hancock</b>

at the bottom. A John Hancock is a person's

signed name – a signature. Historically, John Hancock was one of the signers of the United

States Declaration of Independence. Hancock had a beautiful signature and signed his name

larger than all the others.

As average Joe left the bank he began to sing. But sadly, average Joe was not a good singer. He was a
<b>Johnny One Note. He could only sing one note.</b>

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith

Lapidus.

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<b>Expressions to Describe People We Think Are </b>

<b>Important</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Some expressions describe people who are important, or at least who think they are. One such expression is,
<b>bigwig.</b>

In the seventeenth century, important men in Europe began to wear false hair, called wigs. As years passed,
wigs began to get bigger. The size of a man's wig depended on how important he was. The more important
he was -- or thought he was -- the bigger the wig he wore. Some wigs were so large they covered a man's
shoulders or back.

Today, the expression bigwig is used to make fun of a person who feels important. People never tell
someone he is a bigwig. They only use the expression behind his back.

<b>Big wheel is another way to describe an important person. A big wheel may be the head of a company, a </b>
political leader, a famous movie star. They are big wheels because they are powerful. What they do affects
many persons. Big wheels give the orders. Other people carry them out. As in many machines, a big wheel
makes the little wheels turn.

Big wheel became a popular expression after World War Two. It probably comes from an expression used
for many years by people who fix parts of cars and trucks. They said a person rolled a big wheel if he was
important and had influence.

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Why a banana? A comedy act in earlier days often included a part where one of the comedians would hit the
others over the head with a soft object. The object was shaped like a yellow fruit: the banana.

Top banana still is used mainly in show business. Yet the expression also can be used to describe the top
person in any area.

A kingpin is another word for an important person. The expression comes from the game of bowling. The
kingpin is the number one pin. If hit correctly with the bowling ball, the kingpin will make all the other nine
pins fall. And that is the object of the game.

So, the most important person in a project or business is the kingpin. If the kingpin is removed, the business
or project is likely to fail.

Kingpin is often used to describe an important criminal, or the leader of a criminal gang. A newspaper may
report, for example, that police have arrested the suspected kingpin of a car-stealing operation.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn
Christiano. I'm Warren Scheer.

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<b>Expressions with the Word "Dutch"</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
Today, we tell about American expressions using the word "Dutch."

Many of the Dutch expressions heard in American English were first used in England in the seventeenth
century. That was a time of fierce naval competition between England and The Netherlands. At that time,

the British used Dutch as a word for something bad, or false or mistaken.

A Dutch agreement was one made between men who had drunk too much alcohol. Dutch courage was the
false courage produced by the effects of drinking alcohol. And, Dutch leave was what a soldier took when
he left his base without permission.

Some of these old expressions are still used today, with a little different meaning.

<b>Dutch treat is one example. Long ago, a Dutch treat was a dinner at which the invited guests were expected</b>
to pay for their own share of the food and drink. Now, Dutch treat means that when friends go out to have
fun, each person pays his own share.

Another common expression heard a few years ago was in Dutch. If someone said to you, you were in
Dutch they were telling you that you were in trouble. An important person – a parent or teacher, perhaps –
was angry with you.

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In the seventeen hundreds, Germans who moved to the United States often were called Dutch. This
happened because of mistakes in understanding and saying the word Deutsch, the German word for
German. Families of these German people still live in the eastern United States, many in the state of
Pennsylvania. They are known as the Pennsylvania Dutch.

During the American Civil War, supporters of the Northern side in the central state of Missouri were called
Dutch because many of them were German settlers. In California during the gold rush, the term Dutch was
used to describe Germans, Swedes and Norwegians, as well as people from The Netherlands.

President Theodore Roosevelt once noted that anything foreign and non-English was called Dutch. One
expression still in use – to talk to someone like a Dutch uncle did come from the Dutch. The Dutch were
known for the firm way they raised their children. So if someone speaks to you like a Dutch uncle he is
speaking in a very severe way. And you should listen to him carefully!

You have been listening to the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. This is
Warren Scheer.

<b>Proverbs 1</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Today we talk about proverbs. A proverb is a short, well known saying that expresses a common truth or
belief. Proverbs are found in most cultures and are often very old.

In American history, Benjamin Franklin was famous for his proverbs. Franklin lived in the seventeen
hundreds. He was a leader of the American Revolution against English rule. He was also a scientist, inventor
and writer.

For many years, Franklin published a book called "Poor Richard's Almanac." He included many proverbs
that he had heard or created. Some of them are still used today. Like this one: "Early to bed and early to
<b>rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."</b>

Franklin is also remembered for other proverbs like, "A penny saved is a penny earned." This means that
money should not be wasted.

Here are other examples of proverbs that Americans use. The first ones are about love. Some people say,
<b>"All is fair in love and war." They mean that anything you do in a relationship or in battle is acceptable.</b>
Another proverb about love is, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." This means you love someone
even more when he or she is far away. But other people say, "Out of sight, out of mind." You may not
even think about that person when he or she is not with you. Which of these proverbs do you think is most
true?

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Here is another popular saying about love: "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Some
people believe that a woman can win a man's love if she prepares his favorite foods.

Some people are only interested in having a relationship with someone who is very good-looking. You might
tell them that "Beauty is only skin deep." Your girlfriend may be lovely to look at, but she may also have
some bad qualities. Or the opposite may be true. Your boyfriend is a wonderful person, but not
good-looking. So what a person looks like is not really important.

Another proverb is true in love and war or other situations: "Actions speak louder than words." It means
that what you do is more important than what you say.

Sadly, we have no more time for this program. So we must say, "All good things must come to an end."
This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Barbara Klein. Tell us about your
favorite proverb. You can send an e-mail to Include your name and where you live. And
you can find more WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at voaspecialenglish.com.

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<b>Proverbs 2</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Today we explain more popular proverbs. A proverb is a short, well known saying that expresses a common
truth or belief. Proverbs are popular around the world.

Many listeners have sent us their favorite proverbs. They give advice about how to live. We begin with two
popular proverbs about staying healthy by eating good food: One is an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Another is you are what you eat.

Several proverbs about birds also give advice. You may have heard this one: The early bird catches the
<b>worm. This means a person who gets up early, or acts quickly, has the best chance of success.</b>

Another famous proverb is a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. This means you should not risk
losing something you have by seeking something that is not guaranteed.

Here is another piece of advice: Do not count your chickens before they are hatched. In other words, you
should not think too much about some future event before it really happens.

Another proverb warns do not put all your eggs in one basket. This means you should not put all of your
resources together in one place because you could risk losing everything at one time. Many Americans
learned this the hard way by investing all their money in stock shares, which then lost value. Another
proverb says a fool and his money are soon parted. This means someone who acts unwisely with money
will lose it.

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You might learn that haste makes waste if you do something too fast, resulting in mistakes. Most people
would agree with this proverb: honesty is the best policy.

Yet another proverb advises us not to be concerned about something bad that you cannot change. It says
<b>there is no use crying over spilled milk.</b>

Do you agree with the proverb that children should be seen and not heard? Maybe you have told your
children that hard work never hurt anyone. But other people say that all work and no play makes Jack a
<b>dull boy. They believe it is not wise to spend all your time working and never having fun.</b>

Finally, here is one of our favorite proverbs: People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
This means you should not criticize other people unless you are perfect yourself.

This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Barbara Klein. You can find more
proverbs and other WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

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<b>Proverbs 3</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Today we explain more proverbs. A proverb is a short, well-known saying that expresses a common truth or
belief. Proverbs are popular around the world. Many proverbs give advice about how to live. Some

proverbs are hundreds of years old, but they are still used today.

For example, my son is just like his father in many ways. We often say the two of them prove the proverb
that the apple does not fall far from the tree.

My daughter is very short. She would like to be taller.But I tell her that good things come in small
<b>packages. The size of something is not always important.Some valuable things are very small, like </b>

diamonds and other jewels. But I also tell my children that all that glitters is not gold. Do not befooled by
appearances. Something may look valuable, but may not really be valuable. Also, I tell them do not judge
<b>a book by its cover. You should not judge something only by its appearance.</b>

Another proverb is, do not bite off more than you can chew. This means do not try to do more than you
are able to do.

Some times I tell my children to cooperate to solve a problem. After all, two heads are better than one.
Two people working together can get better results. But another proverb says too many cooks spoil the
<b>broth. If too many people try to do something, then the job will not be done well.</b>

I also tell my children that two wrongs do not make a right. You should not do something bad just because
someone did the same to you.

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Optimists might say that every cloud has a silver lining. They can find something good even in a bad
situation. Other people are both pessimists and optimists.They hope for the best and prepare for the
<b>worst.</b>

Some people often worry about what they will do in a situation that might happen in the future. We could
tell them do not cross that bridge until you come to it.

It is usually much better to prevent a problem from happening than it is to find ways to solve it. So we say
<b>an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.</b>

Finally, I always liked this proverb: You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Honey is
sweet while vinegar is not. In other words, you can win people to your side more easily with gentle
persuasion than by hostile actions.

This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Barbara Klein.You can find more
<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.</b>

<b>Proverbs 4 - Some Listeners' Favorite Sayings</b>

Now, the VOA Special English program

<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES</b>

.

A proverb is a short, well known saying that expresses a common truth or belief. Many proverbs give advice
about the best way to live.

Recently, we presented a program about proverbs. We asked our listeners to send us their favorite proverbs.
A short time later, we received suggestions from around the world. We heard from listeners in Africa, Asia,
Europe and South America.

The top proverb among these listeners is this one: "Where there is a will, there is a way." This means that
you can rise above your problems if you have a goal and work very hard.

Some listeners liked another proverb: "Strike while the iron is hot." This means it is best to take action
quickly and at the right time. Another favorite proverb was, "God helps those who help themselves."
Xu Da-ju from China wrote that his country has thousands of proverbs. Several of them are also used in the
United States. One example is "Birds of a feather flock together." This means that people who are alike
often become friends or spend time together.

Another proverb is "Blood is thicker than water." This means family ties are stronger than other

relationships. A similar proverb states "Charity begins at home." A person should help his family or close
friends before helping others.

Alina from China sent us this proverb: "He who would climb a ladder must begin at the bottom." That is
good advice when working around your home or looking for a job.

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Wafaa from Egypt says her favorite proverb is, "Think twice, act wise." She also says she is making an
effort to use this saying in her life.

Another favorite proverb among our listeners is "Practice makes perfect." This means you will become
good at something if you keep doing it. Another popular proverb is: "If you want something done right,
<b>do it yourself."</b>

Najeeb from Afghanistan sent us this proverb: "If you risk nothing, then you risk everything."

And, here is the favorite proverb of Marius Meledje in Ivory Coast: "Your defeat now is your victory in
<b>the future." He says it means you can learn from your mistakes. This will help you do better when facing </b>
similar situations in the future.

This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus.

<b>Expressions That Come From Baseball</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Baseball is America's national sport. So it is not unusual that many popular expressions come from
baseball. But first, let me explain a little about the game.

Each baseball team has nine players. The pitcher of one team throws the ball to a batter from the other
team. The batter attempts to hit the ball. If he misses, it is called a strike. If a batter gets three strikes, he
loses his turn at bat and is called out. The batter also is out if he hits the ball in the air and an opposing
player catches it. But if the batter hits the ball and it is not caught, the batter tries to run to one or more of
the four bases on the field. The batter can run to all four bases if he hits the ball over the fence or out of the
ballpark. Such a hit is called a home run.

Now, here are some common expressions from baseball. Someone who is on the ball is intelligent and able
to do a good job. But a person who threw a curve ball did something unexpected. Someone who steps up
<b>to the plate is ready to do his or her job. A pinch hitter takes the place of someone else at a job or activity.</b>
A person who strikes out or goes down swinging attempted something but failed. We also might tell the
person that three strikes and you are out. But someone who hit a home run or hit it out of the park did
something extremely well.

Sometimes I have to give information quickly, without time to think it over. Then I would say something
<b>right off the bat. If someone is doing an extremely good job and is very successful, you might say he or she</b>
is batting one thousand.

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Let us say I want to sell my car but I do not know exactly how much it is worth. If someone asks me the

price, I might give a ballpark figure or a ballpark estimate.

If someone offers me an amount that is close to my selling price, I might say the amount is in the ballpark.
However, if I say we are not in the same ballpark, I mean we cannot agree because my ideas are too
different from yours.

Finally, when a situation changes completely, we say that is a whole new ballgame.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Shelley Gollust.
I'm Faith Lapidus.

<b>Touch All Bases</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

American English is full of colorful expressions. One such expression is to touch all bases. It comes from
the sport of baseball.

There are four bases in baseball -- first, second and third. The fourth is home plate. Together, the bases form
a diamond shape. When a baseball player hits the ball, he must run to each base -- in order -- and touch it
with his foot. It is the only way to score a point. If the player hits the ball and fails to touch all the bases, the
point will not be counted.

The importance of touching all the bases was shown at the start of the nineteen seventy-four baseball season.
Hank Aaron was a player with the Atlanta Braves team. He was seeking the record for hitting the most home
runs. A home run is a ball that is hit over the wall. Aaron needed just one home run to equal the record held
by Babe Ruth, the greatest hitter in baseball history. Aaron got that home run the very first time he had a
chance to hit the ball. He sent the ball over the wall that surrounded the playing field. That gave him seven

hundred and fourteen home runs -- the same as Babe Ruth.

After that day, baseball fans held their breath every time it was Hank Aaron's turn to hit. When would he hit
home run number seven hundred and fifteen?

The wait was not long. In the second week of the season, Aaron again hit the ball over the wall. He had
beaten Babe Ruth's record. But first, he had to run around the four bases. The other players on his team
watched carefully to make sure he touched each one. If he did not, the home run would not have counted.
There would have been no new record.

So, to touch all bases means to do what is necessary to complete an activity.

The expression is used in business and politics. No business deal or political campaign is really complete
until you discuss all the issues involved. Or, as it is said, until you touch all bases.

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A diplomat in reporting on negotiations with diplomats from different countries may say they "touched all
bases" during many hours of talks. This means they explored all issues involved in the situation. Perhaps
they did this after expressing hope that they could play ball with each other, meaning that they could learn to
cooperate.

Sports reporters write about fast-moving, lively events. They must develop a way of writing that goes
straight to the point. Their duty is to give the reader a complete picture of the event in as few words as
possible. They must touch all bases as quickly as they can.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Mike Pitts. This is
Bob Doughty.

<b>Fall Guy, Take a Fall & Receive a Bum Rap</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Every week at this time, the Voice of America tells about popular words and expressions used in the United
States. Some expressions have made a jump from sports events to everyday life. One such expression is fall
guy. A fall guy is the person who someone decides will be the loser or victim.

The first fall guys were men who wrestled for money. At the end of the nineteenth century, wrestling was a
very popular sport in the United States. Wrestling competitions were held not only in big cities, but also at
country fairs and traveling shows. As the sport became more popular, it became less and less of a sport.
Many of the matches were fixed. The wrestlers knew -- before the match -- which one of them would be the
winner.

The goal in wrestling is to hold your opponent's shoulders down against the floor. This is called a fall.
Sometimes, one of the wrestlers would be paid before the match to take the fall. He would agreed to be the
loser...the fall guy.

Today, a fall guy is anyone who is tricked into taking the blame for the crime or wrongdoing of someone
else. There are fall guys in many situations -- people who publicly take the blame when something goes
wrong.

A fall guy takes the rap for something wrong or illegal. He accepts responsibility and punishment for what
someone else did. The fall guy may have been involved in the situation, but was not the person who should
be blamed.

The word rap has meant blame for several hundred years. The expression to take the rap first was used
about one hundred years ago.

Another similar expression is bum rap. A person receives a bum rap if he is found guilty of a crime...but
is really innocent.

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Some word experts say the expression to frame someone comes from the way wood must be fitted closely
around a painting or photograph to frame it. In the same way, evidence must be designed perfectly if it is to
frame an innocent person to make him or her seem guilty.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn Rice
Christiano. This is Warren Scheer.

<b>Some Unusual Words Describe How People Spend </b>

<b>Their Free Time</b>

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Some unusual words describe how a person spends his or her time. For example, someone who likes to
spend a lot of time sitting or lying down while watching television is sometimes called a couch potato. A
couch is a piece of furniture that people sit on while watching television.

Robert Armstrong, an artist from California, developed the term couch potato in nineteen-seventy-six.
Several years later, he listed the term as a trademark with the United States government. Mr. Armstrong also
helped write a funny book about life as a full-time television watcher. It is called the "Official Couch Potato
Handbook."

Couch potatoes enjoy watching television just as mouse potatoes enjoy working on computers. A computer
mouse is the device that moves the pointer, or cursor, on a computer screen. The description of mouse potato
became popular in nineteen-ninety-three. American writer Alice Kahn is said to have invented the term to
describe young people who spend a lot of time using computers.

Too much time inside the house using a computer or watching television can cause someone to get cabin
<b>fever. A cabin is a simple house usually built far away from the city. People go to a cabin to relax and enjoy </b>

quiet time.

Cabin fever is not really a disease. However, people can experience boredom and restlessness if they spend
too much time inside their homes. This is especially true during the winter when it is too cold or snowy to do
things outside. Often children get cabin fever if they cannot go outside to play. So do their parents. This
happens when there is so much snow that schools and even offices and stores are closed.

Some people enjoy spending a lot of time in their homes to make them nice places to live. This is called
<b>nesting or cocooning. Birds build nests out of sticks to hold their eggs and baby birds. Some insects build </b>
cocoons around themselves for protection while they grow and change. Nests and cocoons provide security
for wildlife. So people like the idea of nests and cocoons, too.

The terms cocooning and nesting became popular more than twenty years ago. They describe people buying
their first homes and filling them with many things. These people then had children.

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This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith
Lapidus.

<b>Circus Words and Expressions</b>

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Now, the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

<b>Circus is a word with a long, interesting history. It is a Latin word that means "ring" or "circle."</b>

One of the most famous places in ancient Rome was the Circus Maximus. It was a kind of round stadium
with rows of seats all around the inside of it. Roman citizens gathered there to watch races, games and
violent, bloody fights.

The modern circus developed in the nineteenth century. It was a travelling show of animals and people

working under a large tent, later known as the Big Top.

Travelling circuses were popular in the United States and Britain before eighteen thirty. A circus moved
from town to town, putting on shows with trained animals, acrobats doing difficult tricks, and funny, colorful
clowns.

Circuses still travel from place to place. And they still have trained animal acts, acrobats and clowns.
Today's circuses usually have three rings. Something different takes place in each of the three rings at the
same time. The heads of people watching a circus turn back and forth as they try to see every exciting act in
each ring.

The circus has been popular for so long that it is not surprising that words and expressions connected with it
are part of everyday speech.

For example, the word circus is used to describe any noisy place with a lot of activities going on.
A teacher may use it when she walks into a room where the students are playing and talking, instead of
studying. She might say, "This place is a circus. Calm down and get your work done." And if the room is
really noisy, she may say it is a three ring circus.

Clowns are a very special part of the circus. They look funny with their big red noses, painted faces and
clothes that are much too large for them. Everyone at a circus loves to watch the clowns do tricks on each
other. Clowns have a real purpose: to make people laugh. They always succeed.

We use the expression to clown around when we talk about someone playing tricks and making jokes.
Usually, a person is clowning around if he is being funny when he should be serious. In that case, you may
get angry and say, "Stop clowning around. This is a serious situation."

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One of the most popular of Barnum's animals was a huge elephant named Jumbo. Jumbo was very large,
much larger than other elephants. Soon, anything that was the largest of its kind was called jumbo.
Today, there are jumbo drinks, jumbo boxes of soap, and jumbo sales of cars.

This Special English WORDS AND THEIR STORIES program was written by Marilyn Rice Christiano.
This is Bob Doughty.

<b>Expressions from the Card Game of Poker</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, a program in Special English by the Voice of America.

It is surprising how many expressions that Americans use every day came from the card game of poker. For
example, you hear the expression, ace in the hole, used by many people who would never think of going
near a poker table. An ace in the hole is an argument, plan or thing kept hidden until needed. It is used
especially when it can turn failure into success.

In poker and most card games, the ace is the highest and most valuable card. It is often a winning card. In
one kind of poker game, the first card to each player is given face down. A player does not show this card to
the other players. The other cards are dealt face up. The players bet money each time they receive another
card.

No one knows until the end of the game whose hidden card is the winner. Often, the ace in the hole wins the
game.

Smart card players, especially those who play for large amounts of money, closely watch the person who
deals the cards. They are watching to make sure he is dealing honestly. They want to be sure that he is not
dealing off the bottom of the stack of cards. A dealer who is doing that has stacked the deck. He has fixed
the cards so that he will get higher cards. He will win and you will lose.

The expression, dealing off the bottom, now means cheating in business, as well as in cards. And when
someone tells you that the cards are stacked against you, he is saying you do not have a chance to succeed.
In a poker game you do not want to let your opponents know if your cards are good or bad. So having a

<b>poker face is important. A poker face never shows any emotion, never expresses either good or bad feelings.</b>
No one can learn – by looking at your face – if your cards are good or bad.

People now use poker face in everyday speech to describe someone who shows no emotion.

Someone who has a poker face usually is good at bluffing. Bluffing is trying to trick a person into believing
something about you that is not true.

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You can do a better job of bluffing if you hold your cards close to your vest. You hold your cards close to
you so no one can see what you have. In everyday speech, holding your cards close to your vest means not
letting other know what you are doing or thinking. You are keeping you plans secret.

We are not bluffing when we say we hope you have enjoyed today's program.

This Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn Rice Christiano.
This is Bob Doughty.

<b>State Nicknames, Part 1</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

A nickname is a shortened form of a person's name. A nickname can also be a descriptive name for a person,
place or thing.

America's fifty states have some of the most historically interesting nicknames.

Alabama is known as the Heart of Dixie because it is in the very middle of a group of states in the Deep
South. Dixie itself is a nickname for the American South. It started when Louisiana printed notes with the
French word for "ten" on them. "Deece," or D-I-X, led to "Dixie."

Way up north, Alaska is called the Last Frontier for understandable reasons. Near the Arctic Circle, it was
the final part of the nation to be explored and settled.

Arizona is the Grand Canyon State because of the famous winding canyon carved by the Colorado River.
The southern state of Arkansas is the Land of Opportunity. The state legislature chose this nickname.
Arkansas is rich in natural resources and has become a favorite place for older people to retire.

In a popular Spanish book, a fictional island called "California" was filled with gold. Sure enough, plenty of
it was discovered in the real California, in eighteen forty-eight. This started a gold rush unlike any other in
American history in the Golden State.

You would think Colorado would be known as the Rocky Mountain State. But its nickname is the

<b>Centennial State. That is because it became a state in eighteen seventy-six, exactly one hundred years after </b>
the nation declared its independence.

Connecticut is called the Nutmeg State after a spice. Connecticut Yankees, as people in this northeast state
are called, are known to be smart in business. So smart that it was said they could sell wooden, meaning
false, nutmegs to strangers.

Little Delaware is called the First State because it was the first state -- the first to approve the new United
States Constitution.

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Hawaii, far out in the Pacific Ocean, is the Aloha State. That is the friendly greeting that means both "hello"
and "goodbye" in the native Hawaiian language. So, aloha for now. Next week we will tell you about the
nicknames of more American states.

This VOA Special English program was written by Ted Landphair. I'm Barbara Klein. You can find more
<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at voaspecialenglish.com.</b>

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<b>State Nicknames, Part 2</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

As we told you last week, every American state has a nickname. Here are some more of them.

Idaho is known as the Gem State. This is not because it has diamonds but because it believes it is the jewel
of the western Rocky Mountains. Illinois is the Land of Lincoln. It is named for Abraham Lincoln, the
sixteenth president who led the nation through the Civil War in the eighteen sixties. The Midwestern state of
Indiana is called the Hoosier State, but nobody is quite sure why.

One story is that the word was used to mean poor farmers or uneducated people. No wonder the state
legislature instead calls Indiana the Crossroads of America. Iowa's nickname, the Hawkeye State, is in
honor of Black Hawk, an Indian chief who spent most of his life in neighboring Illinois!

Kansas also has a "hawkish" nickname: the Jayhawk State. Jayhawkers were free-state guerrilla fighters
opposed to the pro-slavery fighters in the years before the Civil War.

Kentucky is the Bluegrass State. Bluegrass is really bright green but looks bluish from a distance. Louisiana
is the Bayou State. A bayou is a slow-moving stream. Hundreds of them flow through this southern state,
and many are full of alligators!

Maine, in the nation's northeast, is the Pine Tree State because it is covered in evergreen woods. And
directly across the country, on the Pacific Coast, is the state of Washington. It also has lots of evergreen trees
so, not surprisingly, it is the Evergreen State.

The eastern state of Massachusetts is the Bay State. This body of water separates most of the state from
famous Cape Cod.

Six state nicknames are taken from native animals. Michigan is the Wolverine State. A wolverine is a small,
fierce mammal. The badger is a similar and equally fierce creature and Wisconsin is the Badger State.
Neighboring Minnesota, the Gopher State, is named for a much nicer animal that builds hills and tunnels.
However, the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes is written on Minnesota's vehicle license plates.

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And Oregon, the Beaver State, borrows its nickname from the large, flat-tailed rodent that uses trees to
build dams.

Next week, we will tell you about more state nicknames, including one that is about people's feet!

This VOA Special English program was written by Ted Landphair. I'm Barbara Klein. You can find more
<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at voaspecialenglish.com.</b>

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<b>State Nicknames, Part 3</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
Today, we tell about more interesting nicknames of American states.

The mid-Atlantic state of Maryland is called the Free State. A Baltimore newspaper first called it that
during the nineteen twenties when the manufacture and sale of alcohol were banned for a time. Maryland
said it wanted to be free from this prohibition.

Mississippi is the Magnolia State. It is named for a tree with big, beautiful white flowers that grows in that
hot, southern state.

The midwestern state of Missouri is called the Show Me State. The people of that frontier state were once
famous for not believing everything people told them.

If you visit the western mountain and plains state of Montana you will know why it is known as Big Sky
<b>Country.</b>

Nebraska is the only state to have a nickname that honors sports teams! The state university's athletic teams
are nicknamed Cornhuskers in recognition of one of the area's chief crops. The state borrowed the

<b>Cornhusker nickname from the university.</b>

The western desert state of Nevada is called the Silver State. It was once home to many silver mines and
towns that grew up around them. Today, most of them are empty "ghost towns."

New Hampshire, in the northeast area called New England, is the Granite State because of that colorful
rock.

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North and South Carolina were one colony until seventeen twenty-nine. South Carolina's nickname is the
easier of the two: It is the Palmetto State because of a fan-leafed palm tree that grows there. North Carolina
is the Tar Heel State. That is because many of the men who worked to gather substances from trees wore
no shoes. They would make turpentine from tar and get the black, sticky tar on the heels of their feet.
Next week, we will finish telling about the colorful nicknames of American states.

This VOA Special English program was written by Ted Landphair. I'm Barbara Klein. You can find more
<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at voaspecialenglish.com.</b>

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<b>State Nicknames, Part 4</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Today, we finish telling about the interesting nicknames that have been given to the fifty American states.
The state of Ohio is in the midwest. It is named the Buckeye State after a tree that produces nuts similar to
chestnuts.

The Great Plains state of Oklahoma is called the Sooner State. That is because of a sale of land in eighteen
eighty-nine. Some people arrived in the territory to claim their land earlier than they were supposed to. They
cheated and got there "sooner."

Pennsylvania's nickname is the Keystone State. Just as a keystone holds together a stone arch, Pennsylvania
was seen as holding together the young American republic. Pennsylvania is also sometimes called the
<b>Quaker State. Its founder, William Penn, and most of his followers, were members of the Protestant Quaker</b>
religion.

Rhode Island's nickname is Little Rhody because of its size. The state is smaller than the area around Los
Angeles, California.

Tennessee got its nickname -- the Volunteer State -- because of the bravery of its citizens. They volunteered
to join Tennessean Andrew Jackson to defend the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, against the British army in
the War of Eighteen Twelve.

Texas is called the Lone Star State. It gets its nickname from the single star on its flag. This represents the
short time Texas was an independent nation battling Mexico for self-rule.

The Beehive State of Utah has no more beehives than any other state. The nickname is from the Mormon
Church's symbol for hard work.

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Long ago, King Charles the Second of England added the colony's coat of arms to his shield. It joined his
other dominions of England, Ireland, and Scotland.

West Virginia broke away from Virginia in the eighteen sixties. It is called simply the Mountain State for
the ancient Appalachian mountains.

And we have saved perhaps the most American nickname for last. The western state of Wyoming was once
an area where cattle were transported east. And where there are cattle, there are men -- and now women -- to
move them. So Wyoming is the Cowboy State.

This VOA Special English program was written by Ted Landphair. I'm Barbara Klein. We hope you enjoyed
these programs about states and their nicknames. You can find more WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at
voaspecialenglish.com.

<b>Expressions with the Word "Apple"</b>

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Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Today we tell about the expression, "apple pie order." It means in perfect order, very well organized.
Nobody is sure where and when the expression apple pie order began. Some say that Scottish and English
writers used the expression a long time ago. Others say it first was used in the northeastern American states
known as New England.

The housewives of New England cut their apples in even slices. Then they filled pie pans with them in an
organized way, row upon row. As one writer said, the women of New England loved to have everything in
its place. This perhaps explains why it generally is believed that the expression apple-pie order began in
New England.

Another old expression describes the opposite condition – wild disorder. That expression is apple of

<b>discord. It comes from ancient mythology.</b>

The myth says that all the gods and goddesses were sitting around the table to celebrate the marriage of
Thetis and Peleus. One of the goddesses, Discord, was a troublemaker. She threw a golden apple on the
table to be given as a prize to the most beautiful goddess.

It was not an easy decision to make. How could they choose among Juno, Minerva and Venus. Paris was
given the task of deciding. He decided to give the golden apple to Venus. Juno and Minerva were very
angry and threatened him. This, the myth says, began the long Trojan war.

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When French growers imported it from Italy, they thought di Moro meant d'amour, the French word for
love. And so pomo di Moro became the apple of love.

People believe many things about the apple. One belief is that it has great powers of keeping people
healthy. A very common expression is "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

Another belief is based on fact. The expression is "One rotten apple spoils the barrel." When an apple
begins to go bad, it ruins all the other apples around it in the container. The expression has come to mean
that one bad person in a group can cause everyone to act bad.

You have been listening to the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. I'm
Warren Scheer.

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<b>Expressions with the Word "Bag"</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Different people have different ways of saying things – their own special expressions. Each week we tell

about some popular American expressions.

The bag is one of the most simple and useful things in the world. It is a container made of paper or cloth. It
has given the world many strange expressions that are not very simple. Some of them are used in the United
States today.

One is bagman. It describes a go-between. The go-between sees to it that money is passed – often illegally
– from one person to another.

Another widely-used expression is to let the cat out of the bag. It is used when someone tells something
that was supposed to be secret. No one can explain how the cat got into the bag. But there is an old story
about it.

Long ago tradesmen sold things in large cloth bags. One day a woman asked for a pig. The tradesman held
up a cloth bag with something moving inside it. He said it was a live pig. The woman asked to see it. When
the dishonest tradesman opened the bag, out jumped a cat – not a pig. The tradesman's secret was out. He
was trying to trick her. And now everybody knew it.

The phrase to be left holding the bag is as widely used as the expression to let the cat out of the bag.
This expression makes the person left holding the bag responsible for an action, often a crime or misdeed.
That person is the one who is punished. The others involve in the act escape.

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One of Washington's officers, Royall Taylor, used the expression in a play about Daniel Shay's rebellion.
The play was in 1787, after Taylor helped to put down Shay's rebellion.

Shays led a thousand war veterans in an attack on a federal building in Springfield, Massachusetts. Guns
were in the building. Some of the protesters were farmers who had no money to buy seed. Some had been
put in prison for not paying their debts. They were men who fought one war against the king of England,
and were now prepared to fight against their own government. Most of the rebels were captured. Shays and
some of the officers escaped.

In his play, Taylor describes Shays as disappearing, giving others "the bag to hold."

A bag is useful in many ways. Just be careful not to let the cat out of the bag, or someone may leave you
holding the bag.

You have been listening to the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. This is
Bob Doughty.

<b>Blizzards, Get Snowed Under & Snow Job</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Some popular American expressions come from areas of the United States where people experience
problems of living in cold winter weather.

Winters in the northern United States are always cold and snowy. Sometimes, heavy snow is brought by
violent storms with high winds and extremely low temperatures. Americans call these storms, blizzards.
Blizzards are usually described as blinding, because no one can see through the blowing snow.

Until about one hundred twenty years ago, the word blizzard had nothing to do with snow. It had several
other meanings. One was a sharp blow, like hitting a ball with a stick. Another meaning was a gun shot. A
third was any sort of statement or event that was the most extreme of its kind.

An especially violent and heavy snowstorm struck the state of Iowa in eighteen seventy. The newspaper
editor in one small town called the terrible storm a blizzard, because it was the worst winter storm in a long
time. This use of the word spread across the country in the next few years. Soon, any especially bad winter
storm was called a blizzard.

Although no one likes a blizzard, many people love snow. It changes the appearance of everything around
us. When snow is falling, the world seems somehow soft, peaceful and quiet. Snow, especially in large
amounts, covers everything.

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That expression, snowed under, also has another meaning. Anyone who has too much work to do is snowed
under. You might explain to a friend that you cannot see her tonight, because you are snowed under with
work.

It also is possible to snow someone under with words. The idea is to change someone's mind by making a
great many pleasant, but false, statements or claims. That is a snow job.

A boy may use a snow job, for example, to try to get a girl to go out with him. The pretty words of his snow
job are like the snow flakes that cover the real world around us. However, snow jobs, unlike blizzards, are
easily seen through.

We hope you have enjoyed our attempts to explain some popular American winter expressions. And that
wish is no snow job.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn
Christiano. The narrator was Maurice Joyce. I'm Warren Scheer.

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<b>Expressions with the Word "Chip"</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Every week at this time we tell the story of words and expressions used in American English. Some of them
are old. Some are new. Together, they form the living speech of the American people.

Some popular expressions are a mystery. No one is sure how they developed. One of these is the expression,
<b>carry a chip on your shoulder. A person with a chip on his shoulder is a problem for anybody who must </b>
deal with him. He seems to be expecting trouble. Sometimes he seems to be saying, "I'm not happy about
anything, but what are you going to do about it?"

A chip is a small piece of something, like a chip of wood. How did this chip get on a person's shoulder?
Well, experts say the expression appears to have been first used in the United States more than one hundred
years ago.

One writer believes that the expression might have come from an old saying. The saying warns against
striking too high, or a chip might fall into your eye. That could be good advice. If you strike high up on a
tree with an axe, the chip of wood that is cut off will fall into your eye. The saying becomes a warning about
the dangers of attacking people who are in more important positions than you are.

Later, in the United States, some people would put a real chip on their shoulder as a test. They wanted to
start a fight. They would wait for someone to be brave enough to try to hit it off.

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This expression goes back at least to the early sixteen hundreds. The British writer of plays, George Colman,
wrote these lines in seventeen sixty-two. "You'll find him his father's own son, I believe. A chip off the old
block, I promise you!"

The word chip can also be used in a threatening way to someone who is suspected of wrongdoing. An
investigator may say, "We're going to let the chips fall where they may." This means the investigation is
going to be complete and honest. It is also a warning that no one will be protected from being found guilty.
Chips are often used in card games. They represent money. A poker player may, at any time, decide to leave
the game. He will turn in his chips in exchange for money or cash.

This lead to another meaning. A person who finished or died was said to have cashed in his chips. Which is
a way of saying it is time for me to finish this program.

You have been listening to the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. I'm
Warren Scheer.

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<b>Expressions About Clothes- Part 1 ... and Shoes</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about clothes? Let's see if I can
name a few off the cuff, or without any preparation.

People wear pants to cover the lower part of their bodies. We sometimes say that people who are restless or
nervous have ants in their pants. They might also fly by the seat of their pants. They use their natural
sense to do something instead of their learned knowledge. Sometimes, people may get caught with their
<b>pants down. They are found doing something they should not be doing. And, in every family, one person </b>
takes control. Sometimes a wife tells her husband what to do. Then we say she wears the pants in the
<b>family.</b>

Pants usually have pockets to hold things. Money that is likely to be spent quickly can burn a hole in your
<b>pocket. Sometimes you need a belt to hold up your pants. If you have less money than usual, you may have</b>
to tighten your belt. You may have to live on less money and spend your money carefully. But once you
have succeeded in budgeting your money, you will have that skill under your belt.

I always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. I really take my hat off to them.
Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spend it at the drop of a hat – immediately, without waiting. And
sadly, you cannot pull money out of a hat. You cannot get money by inventing or imagining it.

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My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit and tie and a shirt with sleeves

that cover his arms. Some people who do not know him well think he is too firm and severe. They think he
is a real stuffed shirt. But I know that my father wears his heart on his sleeve. He shows his feelings
openly. And, he knows how to keep his shirt on. He stays calm and never gets angry or too excited.

Also, my father has never lost his shirt in a business deal. He is too smart to lose all or most of his money.
This is because my father rolls up his sleeves and prepares to work hard. He often has a special plan or
answer to a problem that he can use if he needs it. He is like a person who does magic tricks. We say he has
a card up his sleeve.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith
Lapidus.

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<b>Expressions About Clothes - Part 2 ... and Hats</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Last week, I explained some English expressions about clothes. Everything I told you was true. I did not talk
<b>through my hat or say something without knowing the facts.</b>

Everyone knows there are many English expressions about clothes. There is no need to keep it a secret, or to
<b>keep it under your hat. In fact, if I keep talking, soon enough you will start to think I am an old hat about </b>
this -- a real expert. Do not be fooled, though. My friends sometimes call me a wolf in sheep's clothing.
This is someone who acts like a good person, but is really a bad person.

I'm not really a bad person. But I do love clothes. It is always fun to get dressed up. I look great in my best
clothes. When I put them on, I feel decked out. You might say when I wear my best clothes, I am dressed
<b>to the nines or dressed to the teeth. In fact, my husband says I look dressed to kill. Of course, I would </b>

never kill anyone. But, there is something special about putting on clothes that are pleasing to the eye.
My best clothes are not modern or fashionable. Maybe someday they will come into fashion. But I really
do not care. They certainly look better on me than my birthday suit. Did you know that everyone has a
birthday suit? You wear it when are wearing no clothes at all. Babies are born wearing their birthday suits.
I am very careful with my clothes. I handle them with kid gloves. I try not to get them dirty or torn. Most
of my clothes fit like a glove. They fit perfectly. But when I eat too much, I feel like my clothes might
<b>burst at the seams. My clothes feel too restrictive and tight.</b>

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I admit I dream of being rich. I dream that someday I will be able to live like a rich person. I will know
what it is like to walk in another person's shoes. Some of my friends got rich by riding someone else's
<b>coat tails. They are successful today as a result of someone else being successful. But, I believe you should</b>
never criticize others for something you would do yourself. What is said about someone else can also be
said about you. Remember, if the shoe fits, wear it.

Jill Moss wrote this VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. I'm Faith Lapidus.

<b>Computer Words: Mouse, Blog, Spam and </b>

<b>Googling</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Computer technology has become a major part of people's lives. This technology has its own special words.
One example is the word mouse. A computer mouse is not a small animal that lives in buildings and open
fields. It is a small device that you move around on a flat surface in front of a computer. The mouse moves
the pointer, or cursor, on the computer screen.

Computer expert Douglas Engelbart developed the idea for the mouse in the early nineteen-sixties. The first
computer mouse was a carved block of wood with two metal wheels. It was called a mouse because it had a

tail at one end. The tail was the wire that connected it to the computer.

Using a computer takes some training. People who are experts are sometimes called hackers. A hacker is
usually a person who writes software programs in a special computer language. But the word hacker is also
used to describe a person who tries to steal information from computer systems.

Another well known computer word is Google, spelled g-o-o-g-l-e. It is the name of a popular "search
engine" for the Internet. People use the search engine to find information about almost any subject on the
Internet. The people who started the company named it Google because in mathematics, googol, spelled
g-o-o-g-o-l, is an extremely large number. It is the number one followed by one-hundred zeros.

When you "Google" a subject, you can get a large amount of information about it. Some people like to
Google their friends or themselves to see how many times their name appears on the Internet.

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This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith
Lapidus.

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<b>Expressions with the Word "Water"</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself. But many of the expressions using water
have unpleasant meanings.

The expression "to be in hot water" is one of them. It is a very old expression. "Hot water" was used five
hundred years ago to mean being in trouble. One story says it got that meaning from the custom of throwing
extremely hot water down on enemies attacking a castle.

That no longer happens. But we still get in "hot water." When we are in "hot water," we are in trouble. It
can be any kind of trouble -- serious or not so serious. A person who breaks a law can be in hot water with
the police. A young boy can be in hot water with his mother, if he walks in the house with dirty shoes.
Being "in deep water" is almost the same as being in hot water. When you are in deep water, you are in a
difficult position. Imagine a person who cannot swim being thrown in water over his head.

You are in deep water when you are facing a problem that you do not have the ability to solve. You can be in
deep water, for example, if you invest in stocks without knowing anything about the stock market.

To "keep your head above water" is a colorful expression that means staying out of debt. A company
seeks to keep its head above water during economic hard times. A man who loses his job tries to keep his
head above water until he finds a new job.

"Water over the dam" is another expression about a past event. It is something that is finished. It cannot
be changed. The expression comes from the idea that water that has flowed over a dam cannot be brought
back again.

When a friend is troubled by a mistake she has made, you might tell her to forget about it. You say it is
water over the dam.

Another common expression, "to hold water," is about the strength or weakness of an idea or opinion that
you may be arguing about. It probably comes from a way of testing the condition of a container. If it can
hold water, it is strong and has no holes in it.

If your argument can hold water, it is strong and does not have any holes. If it does not hold water, then it is
weak and not worth debating.

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This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn
Christiano. I'm Rich Kleinfeldt.

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<b>Expressions with the Word "Hang"</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Hang is a simple word. But there are many meanings for hang. Especially when it is used with other words.
Two often-heard expressions are to hang tight and to hang loose.

When a friend says to hang tight, he is advising you to wait a little longer, not to give up. He might say, for
example, "Hang tight. Keep studying. You can still pass the course."

But if that same friend tells you to hang loose, he is telling you to take it easy, not to get excited. He could
say, "Hang loose. You probably passed the English test."

<b>Hang around is an expression with several meanings. Usually, it means to spend your time doing nothing. </b>
You may need time to just hang around if you have been working too hard. Hang around also can mean
spending time with friends. You hang around with your friends, for example, because you share a common
interest in sports.

<b>Hanging out is similar to hanging around. You may hang out with the same group of friends and always do </b>
things together.

A similar-sounding expression, however, has a very different meaning. The expression is let it all hang out.
Well, when you let it all hang out, you are being completely open and honest. You do not keep your opinions
hidden, even if they may cause you trouble.

Sometimes, a person may suffer from a hang-up. Well, a hang-up is an emotional difficulty that causes a

problem for a person. You may know someone, for example, whose hang-up is shyness. They have a
problem talking with people they do not know well.

A hangover can be a very painful condition. A hangover is the headache, upset stomach and other disorders
that result from drinking too much alcohol.

Another common expression is to get the hang of something. It means to understand how a device works
or how to do a job. An office worker might say that she cannot get the hang of using a computer. But after a
few days, she may tell you that she finally got the hang of it.

One of the early heroes of the American republic, Benjamin Franklin, gave a warning to the other signers of
the Declaration of Independence. The warning contained two different meanings of the word hang.

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The other signers took Fanklin's advice. They hung together, remained united. As a result, the American
colonies won their independence. And none of the signers of the declaration was hanged as a revolutionary
by the king of England.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn Christiano.
Maurice Joyce was the narrator. I'm Shirley Griffith.

<b>Expressions with the Word "Hit"</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, a VOA Special English program about American expressions.
I'm Rich Kleinfeldt with some expressions containing the word hit.

<b>Hit is a small word but it has a lot of power. Baseball players hit the ball. Missiles hit an airplane. A car </b>
hits a tree.

Hit also joins with other words to create many colorful expressions. One is hit the road. It means to travel

or to leave a place, as suggested in this song, "Hit the Road."

Another common expression is hit the spot. At first it meant hitting a spot at the center of a target with an
arrow. Someone who did so was satisfied with his shooting. Now, hitting the spot usually means that a food
or drink is especially satisfying.

Many years ago, Pepsi Cola sold its drink with a song that began, "Pepsi Cola hits the spot, twelve full
ounces, that's a lot…"

Another expression involving hit is hit bottom. Something that has hit bottom can go no lower. If the price
of shares of a stock hits bottom that might be the time to buy it. Its value can only go up.

A student who tells you his grades have hit bottom is saying he has not done well in school.

When a student's grades hit bottom it is time to hit the books. Hit the books is another way to saying it is
time to study. A student might have to tell her friends she can not go with them to the movies because she
has to hit the books.

Not hitting the books could lead to an unpleasant situation for a student. The father or mother may hit the
<b>ceiling when they see the low grades. Someone who hits the ceiling, the top of the room, is violently angry. </b>
A wife may hit the ceiling because her husband forgot their wedding anniversary.

To build something of wood, you usually need a hammer. That is what you use to hit nails into the pieces of
wood to hold them together. When you hit the nail on the head, exactly on its top, it goes into the wood
perfectly. And when someone says your words or actions hit the nail on the head, he means what you said or
did was exactly right.

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Hitting the hay simply means going to bed. That is a good idea. I think I will hit the hay now.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Frank Beardsley.

I'm Rich Kleinfeldt.

<b>Expressions with the Word "Kick"</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

From birth to death, the word kick has been given an important part in expressing human experience. The
proud and happy mother feels the first signs of life kicking inside her womb. And that same life -- many
years later -- comes to its end in a widely-used expression, to kick the bucket, meaning to die.

The expression to kick the bucket is almost two hundred years old. One belief is that it started when an
English stableman committed suicide by hanging himself while standing on a pail, or bucket. He put a rope
around his neck and tied it to a beam in the ceiling, and then kicked the bucket away from under him.
After a while, to die in any way was called kicking the bucket.

Another old expression that comes from England is to kick over the traces, meaning to resist the commands
of one's parents, or to oppose or reject authority. Traces were the chains that held a horse or mule to a wagon
or plow. Sometimes, an animal rebelled and kicked over the traces.

The word kick sometimes is used to describe a complaint or some kind of dissatisfaction. Workers, for
example, kick about long hours and low pay.

There are times when workers are forced to kick back some of their wages to their employers as part of their
job. This kickback is illegal. So is another kind of kickback: a secret payment made by a supplier to an
official who buys supplies for a government or company.

<b>Kick around is a phrase that is heard often in American English. A person who is kicked around is someone</b>
who is treated badly. Usually, he is not really being kicked by somebody's foot. He is just not being treated
with the respect that all of us want.

A person who has kicked around for most of his life is someone who has spent his life moving from place to
place. In this case, kicking around means moving often from one place to another.

Kick around has a third meaning when you use it with the word idea. When you kick around an idea, you
are giving that idea some thought.

There is no physical action when you kick a person upstairs, although the pain can be as strong. You kick a
person upstairs by removing him from an important job and giving him a job that sounds more important. . .
But really is not.

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This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn Rice
Christiano. Maurice Joyce was the narrator. I'm Shirley Griffith.

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<b>Baloney: It's Just Not True</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Baloney is a kind of sausage that many Americans eat often. The word also has another meaning in English.
It is used to describe something – usually something someone says – that is false or wrong or foolish.

Baloney sausage comes from the name of the Italian city, Bologna. The city is famous for its sausage, a
mixture of smoked, spiced meat from cows and pigs. But, boloney sausage does not taste the same as beef or
pork alone.

Some language experts think this different taste is responsible for the birth of the expression baloney.
Baloney is an idea or statement that is nothing like the truth…in the same way that baloney sausage tastes

nothing like the meat that is used to make it.

Baloney is a word often used by politicians to describe the ideas of their opponents.

The expression has been used for years. Fifty years ago, a former governor of New York state, Alfred Smith,
criticized some claims by President Franklin Roosevelt about the successes of the Roosevelt administration.
Smith said, "No matter how thin you slice it, it is still baloney."

A similar word has almost the same meaning as baloney. It even sounds almost the same. The word is
<b>blarney. It began in Ireland about sixteen hundred.</b>

The lord of Blarney castle, near Cork, agreed to surrender the castle to British troops. But he kept making
excuses for postponing the surrender. And, he made them sound like very good excuses, "this is just more of
the same blarney."

The Irish castle now is famous for its Blarney stone. Kissing the stone is thought to give a person special
powers of speech. One who has kissed the Blarney stone, so the story goes, can speak words of praise so
smoothly and sweetly that you believe them, even when you know they are false.

A former Roman Catholic bishop of New York City, Fulton Sheen, once explained, "Baloney is praise so
thick it cannot be true. And blarney is praise so thin we like it."

Another expression is pulling the wool over someone's eyes. It means to make someone believe something
that is not true. The expression goes back to the days when men wore false hair, or wigs, similar to those
worn by judges today in British courts.

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This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn Christiano.
I'm Warren Scheer.

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<b>Belittle</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Today's word is belittle. It was first used by Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States.
Many years ago, a French naturalist, the Count de Buffon, wrote some books about natural history. The
books were a great success even though some critics did not like them. Some critics said, "Count Buffon is
more of a poet than a scientist."

Thomas Jefferson did not like what the Count had said about the natural wonders of the New World. It
seemed to Jefferson that the Count had gone out of his way to speak of natural wonders in America as if they
were unimportant.

This troubled Thomas Jefferson. He, too, was a naturalist, as well as a farmer, inventor, historian, writer and
politician. He had seen the natural wonders of Europe. To him, they were no more important than those of
the New World.

In seventeen eighty-eight, Thomas Jefferson wrote about his home state, Virginia. While writing, he thought
of its natural beauty and then of the words of Count de Buffon. At that moment, Jefferson created a new
word – belittle. He said, "The Count de Buffon believes that nature belittles her productions on this side of
the Atlantic."

Noah Webster, the American word expert, liked this word. He put it in his English language dictionary in
eighteen-oh-six. 'Belittle – to make small, unimportant.'

Americans had already accepted Jefferson's word and started to use it. In seventeen ninety-seven, the
Independent Chronicle newspaper used the word to describe a politician the paper supported. "He is an
honorable man," the paper wrote, "so let the opposition try to belittle him as much as they please."

In eighteen forty-four, the Republican Sentinel of Virginia wrote this about the opposition party: "The
<b>Whigs may attempt to belittle our candidates … that is a favorite game of theirs."</b>

In eighteen seventy-two, a famous American word expert decided that the time had come to kill this word.
He said, "Belittle has no chance of becoming English. And as more critical writers of America, like
<b>those of Britain, feel no need of it, the sooner it is forgotten, the better."</b>

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You have been listening to the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. I'm
Warren Scheer.

<b>A Jazz Buff, A Civil War Buff & A Fire Buff</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
Today we tell about the word "buff."

The word buff has several meanings. Buff is a light yellow color. Buff is also a soft cloth used to rub a
surface until it looks bright and shiny.

Yet these meanings are old, and their history is not known. The meaning of buff that we do know about is
one that describes a person. A buff is someone who has a strong, special interest in something. For

example, someone who loves jazz music is a jazz buff. Someone who is deeply interested in the American
Civil War is a Civil War buff.

This meaning of the word is known to be American. Its use started almost two-hundred years ago in New
York City.

At that time, New York was a growing city. There were no huge tall buildings of steel and stone. Buildings
then were made of wood and brick. Many were old and fires often broke out in them. The city did not have

well-organized fire departments. So when the fire alarm bell rang, men near the sound of the fire bell
dropped what they were doing and rushed out to fight the fire.

Later, fire companies were organized with men who were trained to fight fires. They were not paid to do
this. They earned their money at other jobs, but dropped what they were doing when the fire bell rang.
In cold weather, many of these young volunteer firefighters wore coats made of the skin of buffalo to keep
them warm and dry. Often, when the fire bell rang, other men in the city rushed to help put out the fire.
They also wore coats of buffalo skin. In time, any man who rushed to fight a fire became known as a fire
<b>buff because of the buffalo coat he wore.</b>

Time, however, has a way of bringing changes. Cities organized fire departments. Firemen became
professionals. They are paid to do their job.

Yet, even today, we still have fire buffs who seem to appear at every fire in an area. Sometimes they prevent
firemen from doing their jobs.

A leading New York newspaper published a story with the headline, "Fire Buffs Barred from Blaze." The
story was about an order from New York's fire commissioner. He was angry. He told reporters that his
firefighters were having trouble getting near the fire, because fire buffs who wanted to help were really
getting in the way. So, he said, he did not want anyone but firefighters to go to a fire.

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You have been listening to the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. I'm
Warren Scheer.

<b>Eureka! (It Is an Expletive)</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Our word today is eureka. It is a kind of word called an expletive. Expletives are quick, short outcries of

pain, surprise, anger or joy. We hear them all the time.

Ow! Wow! Holy smoke! Yikes! Some are considered not nice. They cannot be repeated here!

An expletive, or exclamation, bursts from your throat without thought. It is an expression of pure emotion.
It helps ease your pain, or gives wing to a joyous surprise.

One expletive -- eureka! -- is slowly going out of style. Let us examine it before it disappears altogether.
Perhaps you have heard how this word came into existence. The story has been told many times.

Archimedes, the great scientist of ancient Greece, lived in Syracuse at the time of King Hiero the Second.
The king had ordered a crown of gold. He suspected that his goldsmith had mixed some silver with it. The
king called on Archimedes. He asked him to examine the crown to see if it was pure gold.

Archimedes was puzzled. How could he learn if the crown was pure gold? One day, he stepped into the
water of a public bath. He observed the water flowing over the top of the bathtub. He carefully studied the
overflow. Suddenly, he realized how he could test the gold in the king's crown.

He knew that gold was heavier than silver. So, a piece of gold would be smaller than a piece of silver of the
same weight.

He could get a piece of pure gold that weighed the same as the king's crown. He could put it in a full
container of water and measure how much water it displaced. Then, he could put the crown in the same
container of water. If more water flowed out, the crown was not pure gold.

Archimedes was so excited by this discovery that he jumped out of the public bath and ran naked through the
city streets toward home. As he ran, he shouted: "Eureka! Eureka! I have found it! I have found it!"

True or not, it is a delightful story. And it is an established fact that Archimedes did discover that when two
objects weigh the same. . . but are of different density. . . the less dense object displaces more water than the

denser one.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn Rice
Christiano. Maurice Joyce was the narrator. I'm Sarah Long.

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Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. I'm Rich Kleinfeldt.
Today we tell about the word fireworks.

The expression fireworks gets its meaning from the fireworks that people shoot into the sky when they are
celebrating a great event. Rockets explode to fill the dark, night sky with bright reds and blues, with yellows
and greens and whites.

The expression also means a great show of noisy anger, or something exciting. For example, a defense
lawyer in a court trial may become very emotional in arguing with the government lawyer about evidence
affecting the accused. The judge finally stops the loud argument and calls the two lawyers forward. He tells
them, "I want no more of these fireworks in my courtroom."

Another kind of fireworks can be any event or activity that is especially exciting. One such event is falling in
love. If anything can produce fireworks, it is a sweetheart's kiss or the touch of a lover's hand. Often movie
or television cartoons show fireworks to represent the excitement of a kiss.

People use the expression fireworks throughout the year. But if you live in the United States and want to see
real fireworks, the best time of the year is about now. The Fourth of July is Independence Day in the United
States. Americans traditionally celebrate their nation's freedom with giant public parties and fireworks at
night.

In Washington, for example, large crowds gather near the Washington Monument to listen to music and
watch a huge fireworks show. In other cities and smaller towns, local people listen to band concerts and

watch fireworks explode in a dark sky.

Many other countries around the world also enjoy the tradition of exploding fireworks on special days. In
Australia, the city of Sydney begins each new year with a fireworks show at midnight. China is the

birthplace of fireworks. Large fireworks shows were held often during earlier times in China. Now, people
use small fireworks to help celebrate weddings and birthdays.

France also has a great fireworks tradition. A large fireworks show always takes place on Bastille day which
celebrates the beginning of the French Revolution. The French city of Cannes holds an international

fireworks competition each year in July and August.

In India, people have been using fireworks for more than five hundred years. A great Indian fireworks show
takes place during the religious celebration of Diwali, every autumn.

Fireworks shows are popular around the world. But if I do not end this program right now, there will be
fireworks from my producer.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by David Jarmul. I'm
Rich Kleinfeldt.

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Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

A woman from Japan was telling a friend about her trip to the United States. The woman had visited major
businesses and investment companies in New York City and Chicago.

"I studied English before I left home, " she said. "But I still was not sure that people were speaking English."
Her problem is easy to understand. Americans in business are like people who are in business anywhere.
They have a language of their own. Some of the words and expressions deal with the special areas of their
work. Other expressions are borrowed from different kinds of work such as the theater and movie industry.
One such saying is get your act together.

When things go wrong in a business, an employer may get angry. He may shout, "Stop making mistakes. Get
your act together."

Or, if the employer is calmer, he may say, "Let us get our act together."

Either way, the meaning is the same. Getting your act together is getting organized. In business, it usually
means to develop a calm and orderly plan of action.

It is difficult to tell exactly where the saying began. But, it is probable that it was in the theater or movie
industry. Perhaps one of the actors was nervous and made a lot of mistakes. The director may have said,
"Calm down, now. Get your act together."

Word expert James Rogers says the expression was common by the late nineteen seventies. Mr. Rogers says
the Manchester Guardian newspaper used it in nineteen seventy-eight. The newspaper said a reform policy
required that the British government get its act together.

Now, this expression is heard often when officials of a company meet. One company even called its yearly
report, "Getting Our Act Together."

The Japanese visitor was confused by another expression used by American business people. It is cut to the
<b>chase.</b>

She heard that expression when she attended an important meeting of one company. One official was giving

a very long report. It was not very interesting. In fact, some people at the meeting were falling asleep.

Finally, the president of the company said, "Cut to the chase."

Cut to the chase means to stop spending so much time on details or unimportant material. Hurry and get to
the good part.

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Cut is the director's word for stop. The director means to stop filming, leave out some material, and get to the
chase scene now.

So, if your employer tells you to cut to the chase, be sure to get to the main point of your story quickly.
This WORDS AND THEIR STORIES program was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Susan Clark.

<b>Got It by the Grapevine / Heard It on the </b>

<b>Grapevine</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
Some of the most exciting information comes by way of the grapevine.

That is so because reports received through the grapevine are supposed to be secret. The information is all
<b>hush hush. It is whispered into your ear with the understanding that you will not pass it on to others.</b>

You feel honored and excited. You are one of the special few to get this information. You cannot wait. You
must quickly find other ears to pour the information into. And so, the information - secret as it is – begins to
spread. Nobody knows how far.

The expression by the grapevine is more than one hundred years old.

The American inventor, Samuel F. Morse, is largely responsible for the birth of the expression. Among
others, he experimented with the idea of telegraphy – sending messages over a wire by electricity. When
Morse finally completed his telegraphic instrument, he went before Congress to show that it worked. He
sent a message over a wire from Washington to Baltimore. The message was: "What hath God wrought?"
This was on May twenty-fourth, eighteen forty-four.

Quickly, companies began to build telegraph lines from one place to another. Men everywhere seemed to be
putting up poles with strings of wire for carrying telegraphic messages. The workmanship was poor. And the
wires were not put up straight.

Some of the results looked strange. People said they looked like a grapevine. A large number of the
telegraph lines were going in all directions, as crooked as the vines that grapes grow on. So was born the
expression, by the grapevine.

Some writers believe that the phrase would soon have disappeared were it not for the American Civil War.
Soon after the war began in eighteen sixty-one, military commanders started to send battlefield reports by
telegraph. People began hearing the phrase by the grapevine to describe false as well as true reports from the
battlefield. It was like a game. Was it true? Who says so?

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You really cannot know how much – if any – of the information that comes to you by the grapevine is true or
false. Still, in the words of an old American saying, the person who keeps pulling the grapevine shakes
down at least a few grapes.

You have been listening to the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. I'm
Warren Scheer.

<b>Great Scott (It Expresses Surprise or Shock)</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Every language has its ways of expressing strong emotions -- surprise, shock, anger.

The expressions range from mild to strong, from exclamations and oaths, to curses and swear words. The
ones that are accepted in public speech change through the years as social rules change.

At times, only very mild expressions are socially accepted.

Some of the most popular expressions are those that are guaranteed not to offend anyone. Most of these
exclamations have survived from earlier days. And their original meanings are long since forgotten.

<b>Great Scott! is a good example. It expresses surprise or shock. You might say to someone, "Great Scott! I </b>
did not know she was married!"

Language expert Webb Garrison tells an interesting story about the expression.

Just before the Civil War, the Whig political party was making a last effort to remain a part of American
political life. For the election of eighteen fifty-two, the Whigs wanted to offer a colorful candidate for
president.

They thought that Winfield Scott would be the right candidate.

In his thirty years as a general, Winfield Scott had become one of the best-known military leaders in the
country. During the war with Mexico, he had captured Vera Cruz and occupied Mexico City.

So, party leaders thought that if any whig could be elected president, it was Winfield Scott.

General Scott quickly accepted the nomination and began campaigning. It did not take long for the public to
realize that General Scott really liked General Scott!

His speeches were full of praise for himself. It was evident that he thought he was the greatest candidate who

had ever lived. Soon his political opponents began to make fun of him. They called him, Great Scott.

General Scott did not come close to winning the presidency. But his name still lives as part of the English
language.

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<b>Holy Mackerel! is one that expresses surprise or wonder. It comes from earlier days when the Roman </b>
Catholic Church ruled that Catholics must not eat meat on Fridays. Since mackerel was a common and
cheap fish in the United States, it was often eaten for dinner on Friday.

Then there is Holy Toledo! It is another expression of surprise. It refers to the city of Toledo, Spain, an
important religious center in medieval times. Toledo was a holy city for both the Roman Catholics and the
Muslim Moors of Spain.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn Christiano.
Maurice Joyce was the narriator. I'm Warren Scheer.

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<b>I Am Afraid I Am Losing It & I Must Be Losing It</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Tom Smith is the best hitter on his company's baseball team. For weeks during the playing season, Tom hit a
home run in every game the team played. But then suddenly he stopped hitting home runs. He could not hit
the baseball at all.

One day he struck out three times in one game. He said, "I am afraid I am losing it."

Mary Jones bought a dress in a woman's clothing store. She felt very happy about buying the dress until she

got home. Then she remembered she had left her credit card at the store when she used it to pay for the dress.
It was the third time that month that Mary had forgotten something important.

Mary was angry with herself. She said, "Am I losing it?"

Emma Cleveland was teaching a class in mathematics at a college. She began to explain to the students how
to solve a very difficult problem. She understood it very well. But somehow, at that moment, she could not
explain it. Emma said, "I must be losing it."

Americans seem to have a lot of concern about losing it. At least that is what you would think from hearing
them talk. They use the expression when they feel they are losing control. It can mean losing emotional
control. Or losing the ability to do something. Or losing mental powers.

Word experts differ about how the expression started. Some believe it came from television programs
popular in the nineteen eighties. Others believe it began with psychologists and psychiatrists who deal with
how people think, feel and act.

One psychologist said, "We Americans have many concerns about controlling our lives. Perhaps we worry
too much."

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People who are down in the dumps are sad. They are depressed.

Word expert Charles Funk says people have been feeling down in the dumps for more than four-hundred
years. Sir Thomas More used the expression in fifteen thirty-four. He wrote, "Our poor family ... has fallen
in such dumps."

Word experts do not agree what the word dumps means. One expert, John Ayto, says the word dumps
probably comes from the Scandinavian countries. The languages of Denmark and Norway both have similar
words. The words mean to fall suddenly.

Americans borrowed this saying. And, over the years, it has become a popular way of expressing sadness.
This WORDS AND THEIR STORIES program was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Susan Clark.

<b>It Will Not Wash</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Young Mr. Smith had an idea for his employer. It was an idea for saving money for the company by
increasing prices. At the same time, Smith suggested that the company sell goods of less value.

If his employer liked the idea, Smith might be given more pay. Perhaps he might even get a better job with
the company.

Business had been very slow. So Mr. Smith's employer thought a few minutes about the idea. But then she
shook her head. "I am sorry, Smith," his employer said. "It just will not wash."

Now, the meaning of these English words should be, "It will not get clean." Yet Smith's idea did not have
anything to do with making something clean. So why did his employer say, "It will not wash?"

Most word experts agree that "it will not wash" means it will not work. Eric Partridge wrote that the saying
probably developed in Britain in the eighteen hundreds. Charlotte Bronte used it in a story published in
eighteen forty-nine. She wrote, "That wiln't wash, miss." Mizz Bronte seems to have meant that the dyes
used to color a piece of clothing were not good. The colors could not be depended on to stay in the material.
In nineteenth century England, the expression came to mean an undependable statement. It was used mainly
to describe an idea. But sometimes it was used about a person.

A critic once said of the poet Robert Browning, "He won't wash." The critic did not mean that the poet was
not a clean person. He meant that Browning's poems could not be depended on to last.

Today, we know that judgment was wrong. Robert Browning still is considered a major poet. But very few
people remember the man who said Browning would not wash.

Happily for the young employee Smith, his employer wanted him to do well in the company. So the

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A century ago, to talk turkey meant to talk pleasantly. Turkeys in the barnyard were thought to be speaking
pleasantly to one another. In recent years, the saying has come to mean an attempt to teach something
important.

Word expert Charles Funk tells how he believes this change took place.

He says two men were shooting turkeys together. One of them was a white man. The other was an American
Indian. The white man began stating reasons why he should get all the turkeys for himself. But the American
Indian stopped him. He told the white man, "Now, I talk turkey to you."

Mr. Smith thought of a better idea after his employer talked turkey to him. He was given an increase in pay.
So if your idea "will not wash," try "talking turkey" to yourself and come up with a better idea.

This WORDS AND THEIR STORIES program was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Susan Clark.

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<b>It Will Not Wash</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Young Mr. Smith had an idea for his employer. It was an idea for saving money for the company by
increasing prices. At the same time, Smith suggested that the company sell goods of less value.

If his employer liked the idea, Smith might be given more pay. Perhaps he might even get a better job with
the company.

Business had been very slow. So Mr. Smith's employer thought a few minutes about the idea. But then she
shook her head. "I am sorry, Smith," his employer said. "It just will not wash."

Now, the meaning of these English words should be, "It will not get clean." Yet Smith's idea did not have
anything to do with making something clean. So why did his employer say, "It will not wash?"

Most word experts agree that "it will not wash" means it will not work. Eric Partridge wrote that the saying
probably developed in Britain in the eighteen hundreds. Charlotte Bronte used it in a story published in
eighteen forty-nine. She wrote, "That wiln't wash, miss." Mizz Bronte seems to have meant that the dyes
used to color a piece of clothing were not good. The colors could not be depended on to stay in the material.
In nineteenth century England, the expression came to mean an undependable statement. It was used mainly
to describe an idea. But sometimes it was used about a person.

A critic once said of the poet Robert Browning, "He won't wash." The critic did not mean that the poet was
not a clean person. He meant that Browning's poems could not be depended on to last.

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Happily for the young employee Smith, his employer wanted him to do well in the company. So the

employer "talked turkey" to him. She said, "Your idea would be unfair to our buyers. Think of another way
to save money."

A century ago, to talk turkey meant to talk pleasantly. Turkeys in the barnyard were thought to be speaking
pleasantly to one another. In recent years, the saying has come to mean an attempt to teach something
important.

Word expert Charles Funk tells how he believes this change took place.

He says two men were shooting turkeys together. One of them was a white man. The other was an American
Indian. The white man began stating reasons why he should get all the turkeys for himself. But the American
Indian stopped him. He told the white man, "Now, I talk turkey to you."

Mr. Smith thought of a better idea after his employer talked turkey to him. He was given an increase in pay.
So if your idea "will not wash," try "talking turkey" to yourself and come up with a better idea.

This WORDS AND THEIR STORIES program was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Susan Clark.

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<b>Keep a Person on a Short Leash</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Susan Cleveland is the young president of a candy company in the city of Chicago. Her father began the
company in the nineteen sixties. He died three years ago. Now, the company belongs to Susan.

Many of her father's employees were concerned when Susan took control. Susan's father had worked many
years for other candy companies before starting this one. He had known a great deal about business.

Susan, however, did not have any jobs before becoming head of the company. She just finished college.
The employees became even more concerned during Susan's first months on the job. Mr. Cleveland had been
a strong leader. But Susan permitted many employees to make their own decisions.

One employee said: "Old Mr. Cleveland always told us what to do. He kept people on a short leash. But the
company did well."

What does a short leash mean?

A leash is a kind of rope. We use a leash to walk our pet dogs. The leash keeps the dog from running away
or getting into trouble.

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Word expert James Rogers found a similiar saying used more than four hundred years ago. In fifteen sixty,
writer Thomas Becon said in a religious book: "For God hath them in leash. Yea, they are his slaves."

Ms. Cleveland does not keep her workers on a short leash. Instead, she urges them to create better ways to do
business.

For example, her secretary proposed an idea. She said the company should give a prize to the best student in
the high school near its factory. The winner could use the prize money to study at a university.

Ms. Cleveland approved of the idea. After the prize was announced, people who lived in the area of the
factory began to buy more of the company's candy. Local newspapers wrote about the competition. Business
improved.

Ms. Cleveland made her secretary the company's first director of public relations. The former secretary was
very pleased. She said: "My old job had become Mickey Mouse. Now I have a much more creative one."
Mickey Mouse, of course, is Walt Disney's famous animal drawn for movies, television and comic picture
books. But what does a mouse have to do with a job?

In modern speech, anything that is Mickey Mouse is unimportant. Many word experts say the new meaning
came from the United States Navy. The Navy had a special school for new sailors who did not co-operate. It
was called M-I-C, short for Military Indoctrination Center. Sailors began to say that rules which did not
seem important were MIC. Over time, MIC became Mickey Mouse -- something that lacks meaning.
This WORDS AND THEIR STORIES was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Susan Clark.

---Editor's Note: The story of Susan Cleveland and her company is fictional.

<b>Let's Get Down to Brass Tacks</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Our expression today is "getting down to brass tacks." It means to get serious about something, to get to
the bottom of the situation. For example, a man may say, "I want to work for you. But how much will you
pay me? He is getting down to brass tacks. Or a woman may ask, "You say you love me. Will you marry
me?" She, too, is getting down to brass tacks.

How did this expression get started? There are several ideas.

At one time most women made their own clothes, buying the cloth in small stores. The material was kept in
large rolls. And the storekeeper cut off as much as a woman wanted. Brass tacks along his work table helped
him measure the exact amount.

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One word expert, however, has another theory. He believes the expression came from seamen who cleaned
the bottoms of boats. Strong heavy devices called bolts held the ship's bottom together. These bolts were
made of copper. The seaman had to clean the ship down to the copper bolts. American speech soon changed
the words copper bolts into brass tacks.

Another idea is that the expression began when furniture was made by hand. Brass tacks were used around
the bottom part of the chair. The brass tacks, showed that the chair was built to be strong. When something
went wrong with the chair, someone quickly examined the bottom to discover the trouble. In other words,
someone got down to the brass tacks.

No one is sure where the expression first was used, but everyone is sure what it means today.

It is used by people who dislike empty words. They seek quick, direct answers. They want to get to the
bottom of a situation. There are others, however, who have no such desire. They feel there is some risk in
trying to get down to brass tacks.

This happened in the case of a critic who made the mistake of reading a play written by a close friend. The
critic disliked the play a lot. He felt his friend should not be writing plays. But he said nothing. This silence
troubled the writer. He demanded that his friend the critic say something about the play. The writer finally
heard the critic's opinion. And this getting down to brass tacks ended a long friendship.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Mike Pitts. I'm
Warren Scheer.

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<b>Let's Get Down to Brass Tacks</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Our expression today is "getting down to brass tacks." It means to get serious about something, to get to
the bottom of the situation. For example, a man may say, "I want to work for you. But how much will you
pay me? He is getting down to brass tacks. Or a woman may ask, "You say you love me. Will you marry
me?" She, too, is getting down to brass tacks.

How did this expression get started? There are several ideas.

At one time most women made their own clothes, buying the cloth in small stores. The material was kept in
large rolls. And the storekeeper cut off as much as a woman wanted. Brass tacks along his work table helped
him measure the exact amount.

Sometimes a busy storekeeper might try to guess how much material to cut off. But this would not be
correct. He could get an exact measure only by laying the material down along the brass tacks.

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made of copper. The seaman had to clean the ship down to the copper bolts. American speech soon changed
the words copper bolts into brass tacks.

Another idea is that the expression began when furniture was made by hand. Brass tacks were used around
the bottom part of the chair. The brass tacks, showed that the chair was built to be strong. When something
went wrong with the chair, someone quickly examined the bottom to discover the trouble. In other words,
someone got down to the brass tacks.

No one is sure where the expression first was used, but everyone is sure what it means today.

It is used by people who dislike empty words. They seek quick, direct answers. They want to get to the
bottom of a situation. There are others, however, who have no such desire. They feel there is some risk in
trying to get down to brass tacks.

This happened in the case of a critic who made the mistake of reading a play written by a close friend. The
critic disliked the play a lot. He felt his friend should not be writing plays. But he said nothing. This silence
troubled the writer. He demanded that his friend the critic say something about the play. The writer finally
heard the critic's opinion. And this getting down to brass tacks ended a long friendship.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Mike Pitts. I'm
Warren Scheer.

<b>Like a Rolling Stone</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Today we explain a very old saying that has had a big influence on rock-and-roll music. That saying is a
rolling stone gathers no moss. It has several meanings. One meaning is that a person who never settles
down in one place will not be successful. Another is that someone who is always moving, with no roots in
one place, avoids responsibilities.

This proverb was said to be first used in the fifteen hundreds. But in the 1960s, the expression rolling stone
became famous in the world of rock-and-roll music. It became the name of a rock group, a song and a
magazine.

Experts say it all started with a song by the American singer and guitarist Muddy Waters. He was one of the
country's top blues musicians until his death in 1983. His music influenced singers like Elvis Presley and
Bob Dylan. In 1950, Muddy Waters recorded a song called "Rollin' Stone."

A British rock group is said to have taken its name from Muddy Waters' song. The Rolling Stones performed
for the first time in 1962. The group's members called themselves "the world's greatest rock and roll band."
In 1965, Bob Dylan released his song "Like a Rolling Stone." It is one of his best known and most influential
works.

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In 1977, a young man named Jann Wenner started a magazine he named "Rolling Stone." The magazine
reported on rock music and the popular culture that the music created. By 1971, "Rolling Stone" had become
the leading rock music and counterculture publication. It is still popular today.

This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus.

<b>Nuts and Bolts</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Every machine is held together by its nuts and bolts. Without them, the machine would fall apart. That is
also true of an organization. Its nuts and bolts are its basic, necessary elements. They are the parts that
make the organization work.

In government, industry, diplomacy -- in most anything -- those who understand the nuts and bolts are the
most important. Success depends more on them than on almost anyone else.

In government, the president or prime minister may plan and shape programs and policies. But, it takes
much more work to get them approved and to make them successful.

There is a mass of detailed work to be done. The nuts and bolts. This is often put into the hands of
specialists. The top leaders are always well-known, but not those who work with the nuts and bolts.
This is equally true in the day-to-day operation of Congress. The majority leader of the Senate and the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, together with the chairmen of committees, keep the business of
Congress moving.

Behind every Senator and Congressman, however, are assistants. These people do all the detailed work to
prepare congressmen to vote wisely on each issue.

In diplomacy, the chief ministers are unquestionably important in negotiations. But there are lesser officials
who do the basic work and preparations on the different issues to be negotiated.

In a military operation, strategy decisions are important. But much more time is spent on the nuts and bolts
-- generally called logistics -- of how to transport and supply an army. It has been said that Napoleon was
successful because he knew the field position of every one of his guns. He gave careful attention to the nuts
<b>and bolts of his operations.</b>

The extreme importance of nuts and bolts was expressed by the Elizabethan poet, George Herbert. He
wrote:

For want of a nail, the shoe is lost

For want of a shoe, the horse is lost

For want of a horse, the rider is lost.

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For want of a rider, the battle was lost

For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost

And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

This VOA Special Englsih program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn
Christiano. The narrator was Maurice Joyce. I'm Warren Scheer.

<b>Santa Claus</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Our expression today is Santa Claus. Santa Claus is someone who will remain in the hearts of children
forever. He is the make-believe person who brings toys and other gifts to children at Christmas.

To grown-ups, he is a special symbol of goodwill and selfless giving. Santa Claus also has some other
names: Saint Nicholas, St. Nick, Kris Kringle, Pelznickel.

Two of his names -- Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas -- both come from the Dutch who settled in New York
long ago. The Dutch believed Saint Nikolas gave gifts to children. They honored this kindly saint with a
yearly festival on December sixth.

The English-speaking people who lived nearby greatly enjoyed Dutch festivals. And they brought the saint
and the custom of giving gifts into their own celebration at Christmas time. The Dutch spoke the name
"Saint Nikolaas" very fast. It sounded like "sinterklaas." And so, when the English said this word, it sounded

like Santa Claus.

West of New York, in Pennsylvania, many German farmers had also heard of Saint Nikolas. But they called
him Pelznickel. This word came from "pelz," meaning fur, and "nickel" for Nicholas. And so, to the

Germans of Pennsylvania, Saint Nicholas or Pelznickel was a man dressed in fur who came once a year with
gifts for good children.

Soon, people began to feel that the love and kindness Pelznickel brought should be part of a celebration
honoring the Christkindl, as the Germans called the Christ child. After a time, this became Kris Kringle.
Later, Kris Kringle became another name for Santa Claus himself.

Whatever he is called, he is still the same short, fat, jolly old man with a long beard, wearing a red suit with
white fur.

The picture of Santa Claus as we see him came from Thomas Nast. He was an American painter born in
Bavaria. He painted pictures for Christmas poems. Someone asked him to paint a picture of Santa Claus.
Nast remembered when he was a little boy in southern Germany. Every Christmas, a fat old man gave toys
and cakes to the children. So, when Nast painted the picture, his Santa Claus looked like the kindly old man
of his childhood.

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Santa can be seen almost everywhere in large American cities during the Christmas season. Some stand on
street corners asking for money to buy food and gifts for the needy. Others are found in stores and shopping
centers. It is easy to find them by the long lines of children waiting to tell Santa what they want for

Chirstmas. If one took a vote among children to learn who their favorite person was, there is no question
who would win -- Santa Claus.

This VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stores, was written by Marlilyn Christiano. I'm Bob
Doughty.

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<b>Santa Claus</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Our expression today is Santa Claus. Santa Claus is someone who will remain in the hearts of children
forever. He is the make-believe person who brings toys and other gifts to children at Christmas.

To grown-ups, he is a special symbol of goodwill and selfless giving. Santa Claus also has some other
names: Saint Nicholas, St. Nick, Kris Kringle, Pelznickel.

Two of his names -- Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas -- both come from the Dutch who settled in New York
long ago. The Dutch believed Saint Nikolas gave gifts to children. They honored this kindly saint with a
yearly festival on December sixth.

The English-speaking people who lived nearby greatly enjoyed Dutch festivals. And they brought the saint
and the custom of giving gifts into their own celebration at Christmas time. The Dutch spoke the name
"Saint Nikolaas" very fast. It sounded like "sinterklaas." And so, when the English said this word, it sounded
like Santa Claus.

West of New York, in Pennsylvania, many German farmers had also heard of Saint Nikolas. But they called
him Pelznickel. This word came from "pelz," meaning fur, and "nickel" for Nicholas. And so, to the

Germans of Pennsylvania, Saint Nicholas or Pelznickel was a man dressed in fur who came once a year with
gifts for good children.

Soon, people began to feel that the love and kindness Pelznickel brought should be part of a celebration

honoring the Christkindl, as the Germans called the Christ child. After a time, this became Kris Kringle.
Later, Kris Kringle became another name for Santa Claus himself.

Whatever he is called, he is still the same short, fat, jolly old man with a long beard, wearing a red suit with
white fur.

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And through the years, Nast's painting has remained as the most popular picture of Santa Claus.

Santa can be seen almost everywhere in large American cities during the Christmas season. Some stand on
street corners asking for money to buy food and gifts for the needy. Others are found in stores and shopping
centers. It is easy to find them by the long lines of children waiting to tell Santa what they want for

Chirstmas. If one took a vote among children to learn who their favorite person was, there is no question
who would win -- Santa Claus.

This VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stores, was written by Marlilyn Christiano. I'm Bob
Doughty.

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<b>Swan Song (It Means a Person's Final Effort)</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Every people has its own way of saying things, its own special expressions. These are the living speech of a
people. And a story can be told about each of them.

The white swan – with its long, graceful neck – is among the most beautiful of birds. The swan is mostly
silent through its life. It floats quietly on the water, unable to sing sweet songs like most other birds.

In ancient times, however, people believed that the swan was given a special gift of song at the end of its
life. They believed a swan sings a most beautiful song…just before it dies.

The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates talked of this two thousand three hundred years ago. Socrates
explained that the swan was singing because it was happy. The bird was happy because it was going to serve
the Greek good Apollo. Swans were holy to Apollo, the god of poetry and song.

The story of the swan's last song found a place in the works of other writers, including the early English
writers Chaucer and Shakespeare.

And, the expression swan song has long been a part of the English language. At first, swan song meant the
last work of a poet, musician or writer. Now, it means the final effort of any person. Someone's swan song
usually is also considered that person's finest work.

A political expression with a similar meaning is the last hurrah. The expression may be used to describe a
politician's last campaign, his final attempt to win the cheers and votes of the people. The last hurrah also can
mean the last acts of a politician, before his term in office ends.

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Some language experts say the expression came from a name given to noisy supporters of Andrew
Jackson…America's seventh president. They cheered hurrah so loudly for Andrew Jackson during his
presidential campaign that they became known as the hurrah boys.

Jackson's hurrah boys also played a part in the election to choose the next president. Jackson's choice was his
vice president, Martin VanBuren.

A newspaper of the time reported that VanBuren was elected president, in its words: "...by the hurrah boys,
and those who knew just enough to shout hurrah for Jackson." So, President Jackson really heard his last
<b>hurrahs in the campaign of another candidate, the man would replace him in the White House.</b>

You have been listening to the Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. Today's

program was written by Marilyn Rice Christiano. Maurice Joyce was the narrator. I'm Shirley Griffith.

<b>You Do Not Have to Be a Rocket Scientist</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Hello. I'm Phil Murray with WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, a program in Special English.

"You do not need to be a rocket scientist." Americans hear these words often. People say them in schools,
offices and factories. Broadcasters on radio and television use them.

This is how you might hear the words used.

Workers in an office are afraid to try to use their new computer system. Their employer tells them not to be
foolish. "You do not need to be a rocket scientist to learn this," he says.

Or, high school students cannot seem to understand something their teacher is explaining. "Come on," she
says. You do not need to be a rocket scientist to understand this."

Or, a company that makes soap is trying to sell its product on television. "You do not need to be a rocket
scientist to see that our soap cleans better," the company says.

These words send a strong message. They say that you do not need to be extremely intelligent to understand
something.

How did the expression begin?

No one seems to know for sure. But an official of the American space agency, NASA, says the expression
just grew. It grew, he says, because rocket scientists probably are the most intelligent people around.
Not everyone would agree.

Some people might be considered more intelligent than rocket scientists. For example, a person who speaks
and reads fifteen languages, or a medical doctor who operates on the brain.

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Moving pictures from before World War Two showed a man named Buck Rogers landing on the planet
Mars. He was a hero who could defeat any enemy from outer space.

The rocket scientist is a different kind of hero. He or she makes space travel possible.
Rocket scientists, however, can have problems just like everyone else.

A Washington rocket scientist tells about a launch that was postponed many, many times. Finally, everything
seemed right. Mechanical failures had been repaired. The weather was good.

The scientists had planned that part of the rocket would fall into the ocean after the launch. All ships and
boats within many kilometers of the danger area had been warned. But in the last few seconds a small boat
entered the area. Once again, the launch was postponed.

When the work goes well, most rocket scientists enjoy their jobs. One scientist said, "As a child I loved to
build rockets. Now I am grown. I still love to build rockets. And now I get paid for it."

This program, Words and Their Stores, was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Phil Murray.

<b>To Buffalo & To Bulldoze</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Today we tell about two words that are close in meaning. One is to buffalo. The other is to bulldoze. Both
deal with winning by tricking or frightening someone.

Long before the first Europeans arrived in the New World, a strange looking animal lived on the rich grasses

of the western plains. He looked like some kind of water buffalo. But he had a big hump on his back like a
camel. And he had hair like a lion. He later was called a bison.

In eighteen fifty, estimates say twenty million buffalo lived on the open plains areas of the west. They were
powerful creatures that ran with great speed. American Indians hunted them for food and clothing. As white
settlers moved west, they began to hunt the animal for skins to sell in eastern markets.

The American buffalo could run at the speed of almost seventy-five kilometers an hour. It was not easy to
get close enough to them to shoot.

Sometimes the hunters were completely unsuccessful in killing any of the animals. They were "buffaloed"
by these powerful, speedy creatures who were so hard to control. The expression "to buffalo" soon became
part of the speech of the American west. It meant to make someone helpless, to trick them. In the early
nineteen hundreds, a story about attacks on white settlers moving into Indian territory explained, "The Sioux
had the wagon-train surrounded and the soldiers buffaloed."

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The expression "to bulldoze" also means to make someone helpless, usually by using power or threatening
violence. The expression was first used in the southern part of the United States to describe the use of force
to win an election. A bulldozer was a person who was not liked, someone who threatened other people.
The term today most often is used to describe a powerful machine designed to clear away trees and other big
objects. A bulldozer moves slowly but powerfully across the land. Nothing much can stop it.

Americans still use the expression "to bulldoze" but mainly in political situations. It is used sometimes to
describe a political move that leads to an unexpected win. For example, a newspaper might comment that a
bill that was not popular passed in Congress because the supporters bulldozed the opposition. The force of
the supporters' arguments, or perhaps some legislative tricks, buffaloed the opponents.

You have been listening to the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. I'm
Warren Scheer.

<b>American Election Expressions</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

<i>Note: This program was broadcast on October 15, 2008 before Barack Obama was elected president.</i>
Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

The presidential election in the United States is November fourth. So we hear a lot of people using
expressions about the election.

Many opinion studies have asked Americans whom they will vote for. Experts say some states are likely to
support John McCain, the Republican Party candidate. Others are likely to support Barack Obama, the
Democratic Party's candidate.

Experts say there are a few states where the support for the two candidates is almost equal. These are called
<b>swing states, because they could go either way. They are also called battleground states. Experts believe </b>
the presidential election will be decided by the votes in those few states.

Traditionally, expressions used in horse racing are also used in election campaigns. The running mate is the
presidential candidate's choice for vice president. The front-runner is the leading candidate. If both

candidates have equal support, they are said to be running neck and neck. And candidates enter the home
<b>stretch when the race is near the end.</b>

The candidates are now on the campaign trail, traveling around the country. They have favorite subjects
that they talk about to different crowds. This is called a stump speech. Writer William Safire says the
expression is two hundred years old. He says candidates many years ago spoke while standing on the stump
of a tree in front of a crowd. Another expression, on the stump, is to make these speeches to different
groups.

Some candidates carry out what is called a grassroots campaign. This involves voters at the local

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military and in trade unions. It means the members who form the major part of a group, but not its leaders or
officers.

Many people hope that presidential campaigns are fair. But some campaigns include mudslinging. No, the
candidates do not throw dirt at each other. But they may try to destroy their opponent's good name by saying
bad things or through misleading advertisements. Spreading lies about someone is called a smear campaign.
Some American presidential elections have ended in a landslide victory. One candidate wins a huge

majority of electoral votes. Other recent elections have been extremely close. We will know the results of
this election in a few weeks.

This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Barbara Klein. You can find more
<b>WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at voaspecialenglish.com.</b>

<b>Chickenfeed, Work for Peanuts, ...</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

I'm Susan Clark with WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, a program in Special English on the Voice of
America.

Almost every language in the world has a saying that a person can never be too rich.

Americans, like people in other countries, always want more money. One way they express this is by
protesting that their jobs do not pay enough. A common expression is, "I am working for chickenfeed." It
means working for very little money. The expression probably began because seeds fed to chickens made
people think of small change. Small change means metal coins of not much value, like nickels which are
worth five cents.

An early use of the word chickenfeed appeared in an American publication in nineteen thirty. It told about a

rich man and his son. Word expert Mitford Mathews says it read, "I'll bet neither the kid nor his father ever
saw a nickel or a dime. They would not have been interested in such chickenfeed."

Chickenfeed also has another interesting meaning known to history experts and World War Two spies and
soldiers.

Spy expert Henry S. A. Becket writes that some German spies working in London during the war also
worked for the British. The British government had to make the Germans believe their spies were working.
So, British officials gave them mostly false information. It was called chickenfeed.

The same person who protests that he is working for chickenfeed may also say, "I am working for peanuts."
She means she is working for a small amount of money.

It is a very different meaning from the main one in the dictionary. That meaning is small nuts that grow on a
plant.

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The expression is an old one. Word expert Mitford Mathews says that as early as 1854, an American
publication used the words peanut agitators. That meant political troublemakers who did not have a lot of
support.

Another reason for the saying about working for peanuts may be linked to elephants. Think of how

elephants are paid for their work in the circus. They receive food, not money. One of the foods they like best
is peanuts.

When you add the word gallery to the word peanut you have the name of an area in an American theater. A
gallery is a high seating area or balcony above the main floor.

The peanut gallery got its name because it is the part of the theater most distant from where the show takes
place. So, peanut gallery tickets usually cost less than other tickets. People pay a small amount of money for

them.

This Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jeri Watson. This is
Susan Clark.

<b>Down to Earth, Have a Big Head, ...</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Every week at this time, we tell about popular American words and expressions. Some of these are very
old. Some are new. Together, they form the living speech of the American people.

Today we tell about the expression "down to earth." Down to earth means being open and honest. It is
easy to deal with someone who is down to earth.

A person who is down to earth is a pleasure to find. He or she accepts other people as equals. A down to
earth person is the opposite of someone who acts important or proud.

Down to earth people could be important members of society. But they do not consider themselves to be
better than others who are less important. They do not let their importance "go to their heads." Someone
who lets something go to his head feels he is better than others. He has a "big head."

A person who is filled with his own importance and pride is said to have "his nose in the air." Often the
person who has a big head and his nose in the air has no reason to feel better than others. He surely is the
opposite of someone who is down to earth.

Americans use another expression that is similar in some ways to down to earth. The expression is "both
<b>feet on the ground." Some one with both feet on the ground is a person with a good understanding of </b>
reality. She has what is called "common sense." She may have dreams. But she does not allow them to

block her understanding of what is real.

The opposite kind of person is one who has his "head in the clouds." Someone with his head in the clouds
is a person whose mind is not on what is happening in real life. Such a person may be called a

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Sometimes a person with his head in the clouds can be brought back to reality. Sharp words from a teacher,
for example, can usually get a daydreaming student to put both feet on the ground.

The person who is down to earth usually has both feet on the ground. But the opposite is not always true.
Someone with both feet on the ground may not be as open and easy to deal with as someone who is down to
earth.

When we have both our feet firmly on the ground, and when we are down to earth we do not have our noses
in the air. We act honestly and openly to others. Our lives are like the ground below us – solid and strong.
This Special English program was written by David Jarmul. I'm Warren Scheer. Listen again next week at
this time for another WORDS AND THEIR STORIES program on the Voice of America.

<b>Expressions for When There Is Really No Choice </b>

<b>at All</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Making choices is necessary, but not always easy. Many of our expressions tell about this difficulty.
One of these expressions is Hobson's choice. It often is used to describe a difficult choice. But that is not
what it really means. Its real meaning is to have no choice at all.

The Hobson in the expression was Thomas Hobson. Mr. Hobson owned a stable of horses in Cambridge,
England.

Mr. Hobson often rented horses to the students at Cambridge University. But, he did not really trust them to
take good care of the horses. So, he had a rule that prevented the students from riding his best horses. They
could take the horse that was nearest the stable door. Or, they could not take any horse at all.

Thus, a Hobson's choice was really no choice.

Another expression for having no real choice is between a rock and a hard place. It is often used to
describe a difficult situation with few choices, none of them good.

For example, your boss may ask you to work late. But you have plans to go to a movie with your girlfriend.
If you refuse to work, your boss gets angry. But if you do not go to the movies with your girlfriend, she gets
angry. So what do you do? You are caught between a rock and a hard place.

Another expression, between the devil and the deep blue sea, also gives you a choice between two equally
dangerous things.

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The devil is a word for a seam between two pieces of wood along the water-line of a ship. If the seam or
crack between the two pieces of wood begins to leak, then a sailor must fix it. The sailor ordered to make the
repairs was in a dangerous situation. He was hanging over the side of the ship, working between the devil
and the deep blue sea.

There is still another expression that describes a situation with only bad choices, being on the horns of a
<b>dilemma.</b>

The dictionary says a dilemma is a situation in which you must make a decision about two equally balanced
choices. When your dilemma has horns, a choice becomes impossible. When you are on the horns of a
<b>dilemma, no matter which horn you choose, something bad will happen.</b>

This VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stores, was written by Marilyn Christiano. Maurice

Joyce was the narrator. I'm Shirley Griffith.

<b>Nicknames for New York City</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

A nickname is a shortened form of a person's name. A nickname also can be a descriptive name for a person,
place or thing. Many American cities have nicknames. These can help establish an identity, spread pride
among citizens and build unity.

A few years ago, some marketing and advertising experts were asked to name the best nickname for an
American city. The winner was the nation's largest city, New York. The top nickname was The Big Apple.
You might wonder how New York got this nickname.In the early nineteen seventies, the city had many
problems. The number of visitors was falling. So a campaign was launched to give the city a new

image.The head of the New York Conventions and Visitors Bureau decided to call the city, The Big Apple.
There are several explanations for where this name came from. Language expert Barry Popik studied the
question and wrote about it on his Web site.He says John Fitz Gerald, a writer for a New York newspaper,
used the name The Big Apple to mean New York in the nineteen twenties. Mr. Fitz Gerald wrote about
horse races.He heard the name used by men who worked at a racetrack in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Mr. Fitz Gerald wrote: "The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred
and the goal of all horsemen. There's only one Big Apple. That's New York."

In horse racing, the expression meant "the big time," the place where large amounts of money could be won.
The Big Apple became the name of a night club in the Harlem area of New York City in nineteen
thirty-four.It also was the name of a popular dance and a hit song in the nineteen thirties.

But it is not the only nickname for America's largest city. Barry Popik's web site lists almost one hundred

nicknames that describe New York.The best known are:

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

Gotham.



The City So Nice They Named it Twice.



And, The City That Never Sleeps.

You can hear about the city in the song, "New York, New York," by Frank Sinatra.

This program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus.

<b>Nicknames for Los Angeles</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

A nickname is a shortened form of a person's name. A nickname can also be a descriptive name for a person,
place or thing. Many American cities have nicknames. These can help establish an identity, spread pride
among citizens and build unity. Nicknames can also be funny.

Los Angeles, California is the second largest city in population, after New York City. Los Angeles has
several nicknames. One is simply the city's initials, L.A. It is also called the City of Angels because Los
Angeles means "the angels" in Spanish.

Los Angeles often has warm, sunny weather. So another nickname is City of Flowers and Sunshine . New
York is called The Big Apple. So Los Angeles is sometimes called The Big Orange because of the fruit that
grows in that city's warm climate.

The American motion picture and television industries are based in Los Angeles. So it is not surprising that it
is called The Entertainment Capital of the World. Many films are made in the area of Los Angeles called

Hollywood. Millions of people visit the area. No trip to Los Angeles is complete without seeing the word
"Hollywood" spelled out in huge letters on a hillside.

Many movie stars live in Los Angeles. The city is sometimes called Tinseltown. This nickname comes from
the shiny, bright and often unreal nature of Hollywood and the movie industry.

Another nickname for Los Angeles is La-La Land, using the first letters of Los and Angeles. This means a
place that is fun and not serious, and maybe even out of touch with reality.

The city of Los Angeles is part of Los Angeles County. There are many smaller cities in the county. Beverly
Hills, with its rich people, is one of them. So is Pasadena, with its Rose Parade each New Year's Day. So are
the coastal cities of Santa Monica and Malibu, where people like to ride surfboards on the Pacific Ocean
waves.

A good place for watching unusual-looking people is Venice, an area on the west side of Los Angeles. A
system of waterways designed after the Italian city of Venice has been built there.

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<b>Nicknames for Chicago</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

A nickname is a shortened version of a person's name. A nickname also can describe a person, place or
thing. Many American cities have interesting nicknames. These can help establish an identity, spread pride
among citizens and build unity.

(MUSIC: "Chicago")

Chicago, Illinois was once the second largest city in the United States. So, one of its nicknames is The
Second City. Over the years, the population of Chicago has decreased. Today it is the third largest American

city.

However, another nickname for Chicago is still true today. It is The Windy City. Chicago sits next to Lake
Michigan, one of North America's Great Lakes. Language expert Barry Popick says on his web site that
Chicago was called a "windy city" because of the wind that blows off of Lake Michigan. In the eighteen
sixties and seventies, Chicago was advertised as an ideal place to visit in the summer because of this cool
wind.

But anyone who has ever lived in Chicago knows how cold that wind can be in winter. The wind travels
down the streets between tall buildings in the center of the city.

Barry Popick says other cities in the central United States called Chicago a "windy city." This meant that
people in Chicago liked to brag or talk about how great their city was. They were full of wind or full of hot
air. He says newspapers in Cincinnati, Ohio used this expression in the eighteen seventies.

Chicago was an important agricultural, industrial and transportation center for the country.

In 1916, the city gained two more nicknames from a poem called "Chicago," written by Carl Sandburg.
Here is the first part of the poem:

Hog Butcher for the World,
Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,

Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler;
Stormy, husky, brawling,

City of the Big Shoulders.

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<b>Where Did 'OK' Come From?</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Millions of people all over the world use the word OK. In fact, some people say the word is used more often
than any other word in the world. OK means all right or acceptable. It expresses agreement or approval. You
might ask your brother, "Is it okay if I borrow your car?” Or if someone asks you to do something, you
might say, “Okay, I will.” Still, language experts do not agree about where the word came from.

Some people say it came from the Native American Indian tribe known as the Choctaw. The Choctaw word
<b>okeh means the same as the American word okay. Experts say early explorers in the American West spoke </b>
the Choctaw language in the nineteenth century. The language spread across the country.

But many people dispute this. Language expert Allen Walker Read wrote about the word OK in reports
published in the nineteen sixties. He said the word began being used in the eighteen thirties. It was a short
way of writing a different spelling of the words “all correct.” Some foreign-born people wrote “all correct”
as “o-l-l k-o-r-r-e-c-t,” and used the letters O.K. Other people say a railroad worker named Obadiah Kelly
invented the word long ago. They said he put the first letters of his names -- O and K -- on each object
people gave him to send on the train.

Still others say a political organization invented the word. The organization supported Martin Van Buren for
president in eighteen forty. They called their group, the O.K. Club. The letters were taken from the name of
the town where Martin Van Buren was born — Old Kinderhook, New York.

Not everyone agrees with this explanation, either. But experts do agree that the word is purely American.
And it has spread to almost every country on Earth.

Then there is the expression A-OK. This means everything is fine. A-OK is a space-age expression. It was
used in nineteen sixty-one during the flight of astronaut Alan Shepard. He was the first American to be
launched into space. His flight ended when his spacecraft landed in the ocean, as planned. Shepard reported:
"Everything is A-OK.”

However, some experts say the expression did not begin with the space age. One story says it was first used
during the early days of the telephone to tell an operator that a message had been received.

There are also funny ways to say okay. Some people say okey-dokey or okey-doke. These expressions were
first used in the nineteen thirties. Today, a character on the American television series, “The Simpsons,” says
it another way. He says okely-dokely.

<b>Nicknames for New Orleans and Las Vegas </b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

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Many cities have interesting nicknames. Nicknames can help establish the identity of a city. They can also
spread pride among its citizens.

New Orleans, Louisiana probably has more nicknames than any other American city. One web site lists
more than twenty nicknames. The most famous is The Big Easy. It describes the gentle, slow and
easy-going way of life in New Orleans.

So how did the city get this nickname? In the early 1900s, there was a dance hall in New Orleans called The
Big Easy. But the nickname did not become famous until the early 1970s. That was when a Louisiana
newspaper writer began calling New Orleans by this name. She compared the easy-going way of life there
to the hurried pace of life in New York City.

In 1970, James Conaway wrote a crime novel called "The Big Easy." The story was set in New Orleans. In
1987, that book was made into a film which made the nickname even more popular.

New Orleans has other nicknames. One of them is The Crescent City. During the 19th century, new
neighborhoods expanded out from what is now known as the French Quarter. These areas followed the great
curve of the Mississippi River, giving New Orleans the shape of a crescent.

Another nickname is the Birthplace of Jazz because that kind of music started in New Orleans. It is also
called Mardi Gras City for the wild celebrations and parades that take place there every year. And, there is
a nickname that uses the short way to write New Orleans and Louisiana. It you do not want to use the
complete name, you can call the city NOLA.

One of Americas most exciting cities is Las Vegas, Nevada. There you can play games of chance all night
long. The citys night clubs are also open all night for eating, drinking and dancing. So it is not surprising
that Las Vegas is called The Gambling Capital of the World and The Entertainment Capital of the
<b>World.</b>

Another nickname for Las Vegas is Sin City because you can find many kinds of adult entertainment there.
Many people who come to Las Vegas in hopes of winning lots of money do not know when to stop

gambling. They may lose a great deal of their hard-earned money. So the city is also called something that
sounds like Las Vegas – Lost Wages.

In 1964r, Elvis Presley starred in a movie called "Viva Las Vegas." Here he sings the title song from that
movie.

This program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Barbara Klein.

<b>Nicknames for Cleveland and Detroit </b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

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Cleveland, Ohio is a city in America's Midwest. One of its earliest nicknames was Forest City. No one
knows for sure who gave it this name in the 1830s. But Cleveland probably had a lot of trees. This
nickname became popular among local businesses in the 1850s. Today, some businesses in the Cleveland
area still use Forest City in their names.

Cleveland sits next to Lake Erie, one of North America's Great Lakes. It was once a major manufacturing
city. Ships used the lake for transporting goods. In the 1950s, businesses called Cleveland, the Best
<b>Location in the Nation.</b>

However, many factories closed or moved away. Cleveland had severe financial problems in the 1960s and
70s. In 1969, the city became famous, but not in a good way. Cleveland's Cuyahoga River caught on fire
because of industrial wastes on the surface of the river. So in the 1970s, the national media began calling the
city The Mistake on the Lake.

Since then, Cleveland has sought to improve its image. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
opened in Cleveland in 1995. So the city is proud of its latest nickname, The Rock and Roll Capital of the
<b>World.</b>

Another city in the Midwest is Detroit, Michigan. Henry Ford started the Ford Motor Company in Detroit in
1903. Five years later, he made the first "Model T" automobile. Within ten years, Detroit was being called
<b>The Motor City. It is still the center of the automobile industry in America.</b>

Another popular nickname for Detroit is Motown. Berry Gordy, Junior started the Motown Record
Corporation in Detroit in 1959. African-American singers recording for the company were extremely
popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Their records were so successful that Detroit was also called Hitsville,
<b>USA.</b>

(MUSIC = The Tempations - "Ain't Too Proud to Beg")

This program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus.

<b>Nicknames for Philadelphia and Boston </b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Almost all American cities have nicknames. They help establish a city's identity. They can also spread unity
and pride among its citizens.

Two east coast cities -- Philadelphia and Boston -- were both important in the early history of the United
States. Philadelphia is best known as The City of Brotherly Love.

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Philadelphia became the social, political and geographical center of the American colonies. In the late
1700s, many events that took place in Philadelphia gave birth to the American Revolution and independence.
For example, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed in the city. Philadelphia
was the temporary capital of the new nation from 1790 to 1800.

Some of Philadelphia's other nicknames are The Quaker City, The Cradle of Liberty and The Birthplace
<b>of America. Philadelphia is a long name. So many people just call it Philly.</b>

Boston is another important city. It is one of the oldest cities in the United States. In 1630, Puritan settlers
from England established Boston in what would become the state of Massachusetts.

Several major events took place in Boston before and during the American Revolution. You may have heard
of the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Bunker Hill.

So, like Philadelphia, Boston is called The Cradle of Liberty. Another nickname is The Cradle of Modern
<b>America.</b>

However, Boston's most famous nickname is Beantown. But it was not because the city grew a lot of
beans. In the 1700s, Boston was a major trading center. It received a lot of sugarcane from the West Indies.
Beans baked in molasses, a sugar product, became a favorite food in the city. Today, no companies there
make Boston baked beans. Restaurants in Boston rarely serve it. But many Americans eat this tasty dish at
home.

<b>Mayday" and Other English Words with French </b>

<b>Origins</b>

Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

A listener from Venezuela sent us a question about the meaning of the expression mayday. He wrote that he
often hears this expression in movies.

<b>Mayday is an emergency code word. It is used around the world in voice communications. You might see a </b>
war movie in which an airplane has been hit by rocket fire. The pilot gets on his radio and calls "mayday,
<b>mayday, mayday" to tell that his plane is in danger of crashing to the ground.</b>

<b>Mayday has nothing to do with the month of May. It comes from the French expressions "venez m'aider," or</b>
"m'aidez," which mean "help me."

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Many other French words are commonly used in English. One of these words is even in the Special English
Word Book. It is sabotage. It means to damage or destroy as an act of subversion against an organization or
nation.

You may have heard the term laissez-faire to describe a kind of economic or political policy. It means to
leave alone and not interfere. It was first used in France in the eighteenth century.

In the business world, entrepreneur is another French word. It means a person who starts and operates a
new business and has responsibility for any risks involved.

Many French words are used in the arts. For example, a film noir is a movie about murder and other crimes.
These films were popular in the nineteen forties and nineteen fifties. Anything in art, music or literature

which is very modern or ahead of its time is called avant-garde.

If you are looking for a job, you must prepare your résumé. This document lists all of your education, skills
and experience. Something that is one of a kind and like no other thing is called unique.

The French are famous for their food. All cooks need to know how to sauté. This is frying something
quickly in a small amount of oil or butter. When you are eating at a restaurant, the server may tell you bon
<b>appétit, which means good appetite, or enjoy your meal. And if you go away, someone may wish you bon </b>
<b>voyage or have a good trip.</b>

This program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus. You can find more WORDS AND THEIR
STORIES at our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Throughout history, gold has been a sign of purity, beauty and power. Calling something golden means it
has great quality and value.

For example, the golden rule is possibly the world's most widespread moral rule.

It says people should treat others the way they themselves would like to be treated. Every major religion has
its own version of this idea.

The golden ratio is found in art, architecture and nature. It describes a rectangle with a length about one and
one-half times its width. Objects using this ratio in their design seem to please the eye more than others.
Philosophers have their own golden idea. The golden mean says moderation in all things is the best way to
live one's life. It is an idea linked to the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Similar thoughts exist in
Buddhism and Confucianism.

Ancient Greek myths told of a time long ago when people lived in peace and happiness. Poets called it the

<b>Golden Age. A golden age now describes a historical period of great artistic, scientific or economic </b>
progress. It can even recall a time of success and popularity for an industry. For example, the nineteen
thirties and forties were called the Golden Age of Radio.

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You might say your child was good as gold when he behaved well at school. British writer Charles Dickens
used this expression in eighteen forty-three. He was describing the child Tiny Tim in the book "A Christmas
Carol."

In nineteen thirty-seven, American playwright Clifford Odets wrote a play called "The Golden Boy." This
expression describes a young man who has many good qualities and a bright future.

You might tell someone you are golden when that person does something very well.

<b>Gold digger is another description. But this does not say something nice about a person. A gold digger is </b>
someone who seeks to marry a rich person because he or she is only interested in that person's money.
Maybe you like old songs from the nineteen fifties or sixties that are still well known and popular today.
These are called golden oldies.

In the nineteen eighties and nineties, an American television comedy series told about four older women
living in Miami, Florida. The Golden Girls often dealt with social issues in a funny way.

Today, most older people look forward to reaching their golden years. This is when hard-working people
can retire to a life of ease and fulfillment.

This program was written by Mario Ritter. I'm Faith Lapidus.

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. A listener from Brazil, Elenir
Scardueli, sent us a list of popular expressions about food. So today we will talk about expressions that use
vegetables and fruits.

For example, a cucumber is a long, green vegetable that people often eat in salads. You might say a person
is as cool as a cucumber if he never seems to worry about anything and stays calm in a stressful situation.
If you put a cucumber in a solution of vinegar and spices for a long time, it becomes a pickle. But if <i>you</i> are
<b>in a pickle, you are in trouble or a difficult situation.</b>

If two people are very similar, you might say they are like two peas in a pod.

There are several expressions about beans. If someone is very energetic, you might say she is full of beans.
If you say something does not amount to a hill of beans, you mean it is of little importance. I might say
<b>you don’t know beans about a subject if you do not know anything at all about it. But if you spill the </b>
<b>beans, you tell something that was supposed to be a secret.</b>

Potatoes are a popular food in many areas. But something is considered small potatoes if it is not important.
You probably would not want to hold a hot potato in your bare hands. This also means a problem or issue
that no one wants to deal with. Someone might call you a couch potato if you sit and watch television all
day and get little or no physical exercise.

Like potatoes, turnips are root vegetables that grow in the ground. Here is an old saying: you cannot
<b>squeeze blood out of a turnip. That means you cannot get something from a person that he or she is not </b>
willing or able to give.

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Students often have to take a difficult test to gain entrance to a special school. So you could say the ones
who are chosen are the best ones, or the cream of the crop.

There is an old saying that forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest. That means some people get pleasure from
doing something that they are not supposed to do.

Bananas are a popular fruit to eat. But if you go bananas, you are wild with excitement or worry.

Finally, let us talk about lemons. Lemons have a sour taste if you eat them plain. But lemons make a nice

drink when you mix their juice with sugar and water. So here is an expression about lemons that we like: If
<b>life gives you lemons, make lemonade. This means you should always try to make the best of a bad </b>

situation.

This program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus. You can find more WORDS AND THEIR
STORIES at our website, voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube
at VOA Learning English.

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. We received a list of expressions
about food from Elenir Scardueli, a listener from Brazil.

Today we will talk about some good things to eat. If something is new and improved, we say it is the best
<b>thing since sliced bread. In the past, bread was only sold in loaves in baked goods stores. Today, American </b>
supermarkets sell sliced bread in plastic bags. Many people thought this was easier because you did not have
to cut the bread yourself. The person who makes the most money in a family is called the breadwinner.
<b>Bread and butter issues are those that are most important to Americans and affect them directly – like jobs </b>
and health care.

<b>Half a loaf is better than none means that getting part of what you want is better than getting nothing at all.</b>
If you know which side your bread is buttered on, then you know what your best interests are and will act
to protect them.

Many Americans like their bread toasted. Toast is cooked with dry heat until it starts to turn brown. But you
are in big trouble if someone tells you you’re toast.

If you say something is a piece of cake, it means something is really easy, like a test you take in school.
Cakes are often covered with a sweet topping, called icing. Icing on the cake means something good that
happens in addition to another good thing. Another expression says you can’t have your cake and eat it,
<b>too. This means you cannot have everything your way, especially if two wishes oppose each other.</b>

Hotcakes are also called pancakes. They contain flour, eggs, milk and baking powder. You cook them in a
frying pan and eat them with fruit or a sweet topping. If a new product is popular and selling well, you
might say it is selling like hotcakes.

But if a friend of yours did something bad, you might stop being friends with him immediately or drop him
<b>like a hotcake.</b>

<b>Flat as a pancake describes something that is, well, really flat.</b>

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easily fooled. Very often things do not go the way we planned. Instead of getting angry or sad, you might
just accept it and say that’s the way the cookie crumbles.

Many pies are also good to eat. If something is easy to do, you could say it is easy as pie. But if you do
something wrong or bad, you might have to apologize and show you are sorry. In other words, you might
have to eat humble pie.

If you have an idea or plan that is not really possible, someone might say it is pie in the sky. If something is
really easy to do, you might say it is like taking candy from a baby. But that would not be a very nice thing
to do!

This program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus. You can find more WORDS AND THEIR
STORIES at our website, voaspecialenglish.com.

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. We present more expressions
about food. They are from Elenir Scardueli, a listener in Brazil.

My mother always told us there is no use crying over spilled milk. That means you should not get angry
when something bad happens and cannot be changed. People said my mother was a good egg. She would
always help anyone in need. We never had to walk on eggshells around her. We did not have to be careful

about what we said or did because she never got angry at us. She also told us you have to break some eggs
<b>to make an omelet. This means you have to do what is necessary to move forward.</b>

My mother believed you are what you eat. A good diet is important for good health. She would always give
us nutritious food. She liked serving us meat and potatoes for dinner. Meat and potatoes can also mean the
most important part of something. It describes someone who likes simple things. Here is another expression
about meat: one man’s meat is another man’s poison. In other words, one person might like something
very much while another person might hate the same thing.

My father was also a good and honest person. People said he was the salt of the earth. He would never
<b>pour salt on a wound, or make someone feel worse about something that was already a painful experience. </b>
However, sometimes he told us a story that seemed bigger than life. So we had to take it with a grain of
<b>salt. That is, we could not believe everything he told us.</b>

My husband has a good job. He makes enough money to support our family. So we say he brings home the
<b>bacon. He can cut the mustard, or do what is expected of him at work. It is easy to find my husband in a </b>
crowd. He stands almost two meters tall. He is a tall drink of water.

I take the train to work. It is not a pleasant ride because the train can be full of people. It is so crowded that
we are packed like sardines – just like small fish in a can.

My supervisor at work is sometimes out to lunch. She is out of touch and does not always know what is
going on in our office. Yet she is right about one thing: there is no such thing as a free lunch. Something
may appear to be free of charge, but there may be a hidden cost.

When we fail to see problems at work, my supervisor tells us to wake up and smell the coffee. We need to
pay more attention and fix the problem.

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Over the weekend, my friend invited me to watch a football game on television. But I do not like football. It
is not my cup of tea.

We hope this program has given you food for thought, that is, something to think about.

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The Black Cat and other stories

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