Saturdays are perfect days for metallurgic surprises. Surprise—we’re talking about words related to brass and bronze today!
Let’s begin by acknowledging that brass is not an element (like lead) per se but rather an alloy of certain elements, mainly copper and zinc. That said, brass has a long and noble history dating back to ancient civilizations in the Middle East and Europe. This bright and malleable metal has been used for coins, decorative metalwork, complex machinery, and–of course–musical instruments like trombones and tubas.
The origins of the word brass are murky, but a connection to the root BROI- meaning to boil or burn in words like braise or embroil is possible. More evident is how this versatile alloy has influenced our language through several common words:
brassbound (adj) - opinionated, inflexible, or incapable of change; trimmed with brass
brassy (adj) - bold, loud, or showy, generally in a tasteless or vulgar way; sounding harsh and loud like a brass instrument; warm yellow in tone, sometimes to an undesirable degree
braze (verb) - to join metals using a filler metal with a lower melting point
brazen (adj) - shamelessly bold; acting without embarrassment or concern for others; showing a shocking disregard for rules and norms; made of brass
brazier (noun) - a container, usually portable, used to burn charcoal or other solid fuel
Note that the metal bronze is similar in many ways to brass, though primarily a copper-tin alloy rather than copper-zinc. Known for its distinctive reddish-brown color, bronze is used in a variety of ways and remains the most popular metal for cast metal sculptures. In fact, a work like this can be referred to simply as a bronze.
bronzed (adj) - tanned, tawny, or attractively brown
bronzer (noun) - a cosmetic used to make skin look attractively brown or tan
“Various philosophers and religious leaders tried to convince their disciples and followers that animals are nothing more than machines without a soul, without feelings. However, anyone who has ever lived with an animal--be it a dog, a bird, or even a mouse--knows that this theory is a brazen lie, invented to justify cruelty.” –Isaac Bashevis Singer