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Break from the Grind November 2, 2015
TRIVIAL PURSUITS: What is the origin of the phrase “brand new?”
Reported by PLANSPONSOR staff
Ever wondered why we say something is “brand new?”
The root of the word brand is bran or bren, which mean “burn.”
In the 1500s, the word brand meant “identifying mark made by a hot iron.” That same century, the phrase “brand new” appeared, meaning “fresh from the fire.”