1975年《新闻周刊》上一篇评论里的原话形象的描绘了产生brass ring一词的活动的场景：
THE GREAT FRENCH CAROUSEL ORGANS (RCA ). The plaintive melodies and the sounds of fife and drum are transformed into a joyous cascade by the pipes of the mechanical organ. No instrument could be less solemn. It's not so much the sounds of Rossini's "Thieving Magpie Overture" or a swinging "Valencia" we hear as those of children's laughter when the world was young and the brass ring there for the grabbing.
8.Burn the candle at both ends
看到这个短语，大家都会觉得很形象， "burn the candle at both ends"一天中日出前日落后都点蜡烛工作，那么就是说"某人工作非常勤奋"。这个短语一定在电灯发明前就出现了吧。
没错，这个短语的确在电灯发明前就出现了，当时蜡烛是每家每户的日常必需品。不过这个短语的最初的含义是蜡烛两端都被点着，因此很快就被用完。勤俭持家的人是不可能这样做的，所以引申义是"某人将金钱挥霍掉"，而这个短语中 "burn"本来就有"挥霍"的意思，例如在19世纪美国铁路日志上的一段话： "...they had been 'burning the candle at both ends,' and instead of holding in reserve a portion of their easily acquired earnings, they had been spending money with a lavish hand." 这里，短语被用于描述铁路方面的管理不善。
如今这个短语的意思从 "某人挥霍金钱" 发展为"挥霍体力和精力"，也就有了"某人夜以继日地从事高强度工作以至累得筋疲力竭"的意思。现在这个短语有两个含义：(1) 某人工作过于辛苦，睡眠时间极短，如2000年《底特律新闻》上的用法: "Our students are...trying to burn the candle at both ends, they're not only studying, but most of them are working several jobs" ; (2) 某人因参与社会活动过多而导致睡眠时间极少，如2000年《丹佛落基山新闻》上引述一棒球手的话: "I have to keep going to get ahead. That's the only way I know how to be successful. I've played with a lot of guys who had better ability, and...they would go out and party and stuff and burn the candle at both ends and not take it seriously" 。
9. Cat's fur to make kitten britches
当你对某事的缘由非常好奇，想打破砂锅问到底的时候，自然不自然地会冒出句"What for?"或"What's that for?"，对方如果不想回答的话，可能会用"Cat's fur to make kitten britches"来搪塞你。如果你是第一次听说这个说法的话，说不定会搞得丈二和尚摸不着脑袋，甚至会认为自己没听清对方的答复。
在这个短语中，fur是for的谐音。你不是问"What for?"吗，回答者顺坡下驴，用包含for的谐音的短语作出答复，实质上根本没有回答你的问题。
类似的文字游戏用法如下：
问者："So what?"
答者："Sew buttons"。这里So和Sew谐音。
