A proverb is a short, well known saying that expresses a common truth or belief. Proverbs are found in most cultures and are often very old.

In American history, Benjamin Franklin was famous for his proverbs. Franklin lived in the seventeen hundreds. He was a leader of the American Revolution against English rule. He was also a scientist, inventor and writer.

 Today we tell about the word fireworks.The expression fireworks gets its meaning from the fireworks that people shoot into the sky when they are celebrating a great event. Rockets explode to fill the dark, night sky with bright reds and blues, with yellows and greens and whites.

People believed for a long time that the heart was the center of a person's emotions. That is why the word heart is used in so many expressions about emotional situations.

One such expression is to lose your heart to someone. When that happens, you have fallen in love. But if the person who won your heart does not love you, then you are sure to have a broken heart. In your pain and sadness, you may decide that the person you loved is hard-hearted, and in fact, has a heart of stone.

A proverb is a short, well known saying that expresses a common truth or belief.  Many proverbs give advice about the best way to live.We asked our listeners to send us their favorite proverbs.  A short time later, we received suggestions from around the world.  We heard from listeners in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.

 Young Mister 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.

That is so because reports received through the grapevine are supposed to be secret. The information is all hush hush. It is whispered into your ear with the understanding that you will not pass it on to others.You feel honored and excited. You are one of the special few to get this information. You cannot wait. You must quickly find other ears to pour the information into. And so, the information - secret as it is – begins to spread. Nobody knows how far.

Today we explain a very old saying that has had a big influence on rock-and-roll music. That saying is a rolling stone gathers no moss. It has several meanings. One meaning is that a person who never settles down in one place will not be successful. Another is that someone who is always moving, with no roots in one place, avoids responsibilities.

 Our first expression is "in the red."  It is another way of saying that a business is losing money.  In the past, numbers in the financial records of a company were written in red ink to show a loss.A business magazine recently published a report about a television company.  The report said the company was still in the red, but was able to cut its loss from the year before.

In the nineteen thirties, a song, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?," was very popular in the United States. It was the time of the big Depression. The song had meaning for many people who had lost their jobs.

A dime is a piece of money whose value is one-tenth of a dollar. Today, a dime does not buy much. But it was different in the nineteen thirties. A dime sometimes meant the difference between eating and starving.