VOA词汇掌故2024--Be Bold. 'Break the Mold'!

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning¹ English.

Today, we talk about making things.

When you make things using a mold², the material takes the shape of the mold, and everything comes out the same. So, if you have a mold of a duck and put clay³ inside it, you will have a lot of ducks made out of clay with the same shape. They will look exactly like each other.

Now, if you break the mold, you have to shape the clay by hand to make one duck at a time. As a result, all of the hand-made ducks will look different. Each one is special and unique.

That is where we get the expression to break the mold.

The dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster says to break the mold mean "you do something in a completely⁴ new way."

Those who break the mold usually try to find new ways to deal with a problem. They do things differently from what has been done before. They try new methods and do not follow what is usually done.

We also call these new ways and methods fresh, one-of-a-kind, or novel.

For example, after a toy company lost money for three straight years, the owner tried something completely different. She asked young children to develop new toys for the company. And it worked. The new toys sold very well. So, we say she broke the mold of toy development by asking children instead of experts to design new toys for the company.

We also use this expression to break the mold to "describe a very unusual or admired person."

Let's look at the story of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United⁵ States. His father was a black man from Kenya; his mother was a white American from the Midwestern state of Kansas. By 2009, only five Black Americans had ever served in the U.S. Senate⁶. Yet, Obama defeated all other well-known candidates⁷ to become the first Black American president in the country's history. Even those who did not vote for Obama agreed that he broke the mold.

The expression is usually used to praise someone. But people sometimes use it to describe someone a bit unusual as well. Used this way, we might say, "Well, they certainly broke the mold when they made her!"

And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories.

Do you have a similar expression in your language? Or do you have an expression or idiom you would like us to explain? Send us an email at [email protected].

Words in This Story

mold - n. the frame⁸ on, around, or in which something is constructed or shaped

unique - adj. being the only one of its kind : being the only one : very unusual

novel - adj. new and not resembling something formerly known or used

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 mold   

n.模子，模型，铸模；vt.造型，浇涛

参考例句：

• Too often we try to mold our children into something they do not wish to be.我们常常试图把孩子塑造成他们自己不想成为的样子。
• Try to compact the sand into the mold.设法把这沙土堆积到模子里。

3 clay   

n.黏土；泥土

参考例句：

• The children like making houses of sticks and clay.孩子们喜欢用树枝或黏土盖房子玩。
• What a love of a clay doll!多么可爱的泥娃娃！

4 completely   

adv.完全地，十分地，全然

参考例句：

• She never completely gave up hope.她从不完全放弃希望。
• I feel completely in the dark on this question.这件事使我感到茫然。

5 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

6 senate   

n.参议院，上院

参考例句：

• They feel deeply the honour of belonging to the Senate.他们为作为参议院的成员而深感荣幸。
• His unsuccessful senate run was his last hurrah.这次失败的参议员竞选是他最后的尝试。

7 candidates   

n.报考者( candidate的名词复数 )；申请求职者；攻读学位者；最后命运或结局如何已显然可见者

参考例句：

• Employers must consider all candidates impartially and without bias. 雇主必须公平而毫无成见地考虑所有求职者。
• one of the leading candidates for the presidency 总统职位的主要候选人之一

8 frame   

n.框架，结构，体格；vt.构成，设计，制定，使适合，陷害； 框架，（是指在数据链路层中，将网络层数据包加上开始与结尾信息包组成一个框架）

参考例句：

• The house has a wooden frame which is faced with brick.这个房子是木质结构的砖瓦房。
• We must frame up that picture.我们必须给那幅画装上框。