‘It Will Not Wash’ Has Nothing to Do With Cleaning

 

Now, the VOA Learning¹ English program Words and Their Stories.

Everyone probably knows when we wash something, we make it clean. Just about anything that gets dirty can be washed to become clean again.

The expression The expression "it will not wash" sounds like it deals with cleaning and, well, washing. Read the article to find out the real meaning of this expression.

Or I should say, almost anything.

Young Mr. Smith had an idea for his employer². It was an idea for saving³ 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" means⁴ it will not work. Eric Partridge wrote that the saying probably developed in Britain in the 1800s. Charlotte Bronte used it in a story published in 1849. She wrote, "that wiln't wash, miss."

Ms. Bronte seems to have meant that the dyes⁵ used to color a piece of clothing were not good. The colors could not be depended on to stay in the material.

In 19th century England, the expression came to mean an undependable statement⁶. It was used mainly to describe an idea. But sometimes it was used about a person.

A critic⁷ 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 judgment⁸ was wrong. Robert Browning still is a considered a major poet. But very few people remember the man who said Browning would not wash.

Happily for the young employee⁹ 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.

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. And it was read by Susan Clark. Join us next week when we explore another expression on Words and Their Stories.

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 employer   

n.雇用方，雇主

参考例句：

• My employer deducted ten pounds from my wages this week.我的雇主从我本周的工钱中扣除了十英镑。
• His monthly salary is paid into the bank by his employer.他的月薪由雇主替他存入银行。

3 saving   

n.节省，节约；[pl.]储蓄金，存款

参考例句：

• Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
• Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。

4 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

5 dyes   

染料，染色( dye的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This cloth dyes easily [quickly; readily]. 这种布好染。
• This material dyes easily. 这种材料容易上色。

6 statement   

n.陈述；声明；综述

参考例句：

• The government will put out a new statement tomorrow.政府将于明天发布一项新声明。
• Put down your statement in black and white.把你的话用白纸黑字写下来。

7 critic   

n.批评家，评论家；爱挑剔的人

参考例句：

• The critic classed him with the best writers of the age.评论家把他列入当代第一流的作家的行列之中。
• He became a fierce critic of the tobacco industry.他成了烟草业的强烈反对者。

8 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

9 employee   

n.职员，员工，受雇人员

参考例句：

• Each employee received a like bonus.每个雇员都得到了相同数目的奖金。
• They brought around a new employee this morning.他们今天早晨请来了一位新雇员。