Experts disagree about how these strange expressions started. But, they may have come from Britain. Leaders of the nineteenth century British army wore pieces of metal called oak leaves on their hats. The metal, brass, has a color similar to that of gold. So a leader or commander came to be called a member of the brass. Or he might have been called a brass hat. Or, even the top brass.关于这个奇怪表达的起源,专家们意见不一.这个短语可能源自英国.19世纪英国军队领导人帽子上镶嵌着几片"金属橡树叶",它由铜制成,颜色和黄金差不多.所以军队领导或者指挥官就被称作the brass成员,或被称为brass hat(高级将领),甚至是top brass(军方高层).
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