Shot in the Arm*
Some days my mind launches its own brainstorming session, making free associations which usually lead to crazy connections and long-buried memories. Yesterday I ruminated on brass knuckles. I had to slap myself and scream "Snap out of it!" like Cher and Nic Cage in Moonstruck , when brass knuckles led to brass monkey’s balls, which then led to witch’s tits. C’mon, it’s cold here... and it’s Halloween. Weird, right? The brass knuckles thought bubble stemmed from a desire to describe a particular agony. If I used idioms like “a ton of bricks” or “hit by a bus,” you’d know what I meant, but I like to avoid cliches when possible. Brass knuckles are a tool made of heavy metal with rounded rings. As described by firms that sell them on the web, brass knuckles “add power to your punch,” “make your fist rock solid,” and are “easy to conceal.” These fist-loading weapons are also known by euphemisms like “English punches” (jolly good!), “paperweights” (nic...