brass monkey

See also: Brass Monkey

English

Etymology

From the phrase cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. According to the U.S. Naval Historical Center[1], which cites the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang[2], 'the first recorded use of the term "brass monkey" appears to dates[sic] to 1857 when it was used in an apparently vulgar context by C.A. Abbey in his book Before the Mast, where on page 108 it says "It would freeze the tail off a brass monkey."' A number of false etymologies have been suggested.[1][3] For more information, see brass monkey on Wikipedia.Wikipedia .

Pronunciation
  • Audio (AU)(file)

Adjective

brass monkey (not comparable)

  1. (idiomatic, of the weather) Very cold.
    It's brass monkey weather today, isn't it?
    • 1987, Brian Carter, Jack:
      This is brass monkey weather and it'll get worse.
    • 1997, Maeve Haran, A family affair:
      I forgot it'd be brass monkey weather in good old London.
    • 2005, John G. Watson, The Golden Ball, page 115:
      Had to milk cows besides, and them winters up there in Wisconsin is brass monkey cold.

References
  1. Term: brass monkey, from the Naval Historical Center of the U.S. Department of the Navy.
  2. J.E. Lighter (editor), Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Random House (1994), page 262.
  3. Brass monkeys from Snopes.com
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