Blizzard: Don't Let This Expression Snow You

(MUSIC)

Winters in the northern United States are always cold and snowy.  Sometimes, heavy snow is brought by violent storms with high winds and extremely low temperatures. Americans call these storms, blizzards.

Until about one hundred twenty years ago, the word blizzard had nothing to do with snow.  It had several other meanings.  One was a sharp blow, like hitting a ball with a stick. Another meaning was a gun shot.  A third was any sort of statement or event that was the most extreme of its kind.

Although no one likes a blizzard, many people love snow. It changes the appearance of everything around us. When snow is falling, the world seems somehow soft, peaceful and quiet.  Snow, especially in large amounts, covers everything.

snowed under has a lot of snow to clear.

It also is possible to snow someone under with words. The idea is to change someone's mind by making a great many pleasant, but false, statements or claims. That is a snow job. 

We hope you have enjoyed our attempts to explain some popular American winter expressions.  And that wish is no snow job.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Marilyn Christiano. The narrator was Maurice Joyce.  I'm Warren Scheer.