Dictionary of Phrase and Fable—B

Bran-new

or Brand-new. (Anglo-Saxon, brand, a torch.) Fire new. Shakespeare, in Love's Labour Lost, i. 1, says, “A man of fire-new words.” And again in Twelfth Night, iii. 2, “Fire-new from the mint”; and again in King Lear, v. 3, “Fire-new fortune”; and again in Richard III., act i. 3, “Your fire-new stamp of honour is scarce current.” Originally applied to metals and things manufactured in metal which shine. Subsequently applied generally to things quite new.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
Brand
Bran
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More on Bran-new from Fact Monster:

  • Bran-new - Bran-new or Brand-new. (Anglo-Saxon, brand, a torch.) Fire new. Shakespeare, in Love's Labour ...
  • Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: B - Definitions, origins, and illustrative excerpts for words, phases, and literary allusions starting with "B"

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