There's Treasure Everywhere!

Two language queries came up today, and I'm sure this flist has the answer to them both.

a) Whenever I hear US pundits talking about the costs of America's various military endeavours, one of them usually refers at some point to the amount of "treasure" it's all cost. I don't hear that term used in the UK (although we have a Treasury, so perhaps it used to be), nor do I recall hearing the phrase applied to US domestic spending on, say, Medicare. I quite enjoy the vision of pirates chests it inevitably evokes, but I'm curious as to how widely used the word is in the States. Am I correct in my impression that it's a military thing?

b) Why isn't it "Octember"? And why didn't it occur to me to wonder until today?

c) Oh yes, you need a third item for a post. In that case, here are some of the classic children's literature texts I'm teaching this year. This isn't a query, but those who enjoy anagrams are welcome to give them a go:

Chastened Regret
Win Well with Hedonist
White Witch Bothered Another Land
Try Hero Part!
Wanna Nice Riddle? Lo!
Evil Cow's There
Grim, Not Bleak

All of those are quite appropriate to the books in question, but there's a bonus for "Dishearten Wheelwright".

There's Treasure Everywhere!

Two language queries came up today, and I'm sure this flist has the answer to them both.

a) Whenever I hear US pundits talking about the costs of America's various military endeavours, one of them usually refers at some point to the amount of "treasure" it's all cost. I don't hear that term used in the UK (although we have a Treasury, so perhaps it used to be), nor do I recall hearing the phrase applied to US domestic spending on, say, Medicare. I quite enjoy the vision of pirates chests it inevitably evokes, but I'm curious as to how widely used the word is in the States. Am I correct in my impression that it's a military thing?

b) Why isn't it "Octember"? And why didn't it occur to me to wonder until today?

c) Oh yes, you need a third item for a post. In that case, here are some of the classic children's literature texts I'm teaching this year. This isn't a query, but those who enjoy anagrams are welcome to give them a go:

Chastened Regret
Win Well with Hedonist
White Witch Bothered Another Land
Try Hero Part!
Wanna Nice Riddle? Lo!
Evil Cow's There
Grim, Not Bleak

All of those are quite appropriate to the books in question, but there's a bonus for "Dishearten Wheelwright".