melodic phrase into a secret plan show and if the prize is a fresh fomite , you might hear the announcer say the contestant will be awarded a “ brand - newcar ! ” Chat with a friend and they might say you they have a “ brand - spanking new video . ” Turn on the radio and James Brown might inform you that " Papa ’s get a Brand New Bag . "
With respect to the Godfather of Soul , these modifier are largely unneeded , sincenewgets the content across — someone is or will soon be in possession of an unused item . So why do we say something isbrand - newor , even more bizarrely , brand - spanking young ? What does corporal punishment have to do with anything ?
Accordingto the give-and-take expert at Merriam - Webster , thebrandinbrand - newdoesn’t refer to a maker . In the sixteenth century , brandmeant a objet d’art of burning woodwind . Something that wasbrand - newwassomethingthat had just come out of the smithy or furnace , where many items like pottery or metalwork were made .
“ Wow , ” someone might say . “ Is that a brand - novel chastity belt ? ”
The termsbrand - newandfire - newwere used interchangeably in this period and can even be found in the study ofWilliam Shakespeare , who wrote of “ some excellent joke , ardour - new from the mint ” inTwelfth Night .
after , bran - newbecame commonplace to best represent how people pronouncebrand - young . ( Say it out loudly . You ’ll plausibly drop theDso it sounds likebrannew . ) In 1900’sThe marvelous Wizard of Oz , L. Frank Baumwrote about the Scarecrow mother “ bran - new brains . ”
Span - newis an even older condition , dating back to the 14th century and refer to the Old Norse wordspānn , or poker chip of woodwind . For something to bespan - Modern , it would be as refreshful as a new - cut chunk from an axe swing .
Surprisingly , this probably has little to do withbrand - spanking raw . Spankingwas a seventeenth century English word that meant something remarkable . For something to bebrand - spanking new , it had to be not only new , but unique . It has nothing to do withspanking , orgivingsomeone a corrective slap on their buttocks .
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