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I'm Susan Clark with the special English program words and their stories.

Young Mr Smith had an idea for his employer. It was an idea for saving 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'm 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" means "it will not work." Eric Partridge wrote that the saying probably developed in Britain in the 1800s. Sharon Bronte used it in a story published in 1849. She wrote: "That won't wash, Miss." Ms Bronte seems to have meant that the dyes used to color a piece of clothing were not good. The colors could not be depended on to stay in the material.