THE FIRST WORD

blue chip

PRONUNCIATION:

(BLOO chip) 

MEANING:

adjective: Having high value and reliability.
noun: A reliable and highly valuable asset, such as a stock, a company, etc.

ETYMOLOGY:

In poker (and other gambling games), a blue chip typically represents high value. Earliest documented use: 1873.

USAGE:

"Mr Shibulal is not the first boss to have to lead a blue-chip company to a less glamorous, lower-margin future."
Shibulal's Struggles; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 20, 2013.