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what does brass monkey mean in slang

by Kendrick Kassulke III Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago

The term brass monkey is used to refer to extremely cold weather in expressions such as brass-monkey weather. This usage is derived from the hyperbolic phrase cold enough to freeze the nose (or the tail, the balls, etc.)Apr 1, 2019

Full Answer

What exactly is Brass Monkey?

Strategy for Swashbucklers

  • Round 1: Fog your companions and use their buffs round 1.
  • Round 2: Fort your pirate on round 2 and then charge with your companions, focusing only on Brass Monkey.
  • Round 3: Use an assassin on the Brass Monkey

What is the origin of the term 'Brass Monkey'?

What Is the Origin of the Saying "To Freeze The Balls Off a Brass Monkey"?

  • The Oxford English Dictionary does not record the term monkey or brass monkey being used in this way.
  • The purported method of storage of cannonballs ( round shot) is simply false. ...
  • Such a method of storage would result in shot rolling around on deck and causing a hazard in high seas. ...
  • Shot was not left exposed to the elements where it could rust. ...

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What does brass monkeys mean?

brass monkey An indicator of extreme weather or temperature, typically the cold. It is usually used with the qualifier "enough," a verb, and some physical appendage of the monkey, most commonly in the semi-vulgar phrase, "cold enough to freeze the balls (testes) off a brass monkey." After that blizzard set in, it became cold enough to freeze the balls ...

What is Brass Monkey about?

brass monkey used in various phrases to refer to extremely cold weather. Brass monkey comes from the mid 20th-century vulgar slang expression ‘cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey’, the origin of which has been debated. One suggestion relates it to brass trays known as monkeys on which cannon balls were once stowed aboard warships.

What is brass monkeys slang for?

ˌbrass ˈmonkey weather (British English, slang) if you say that it is brass monkeys or brass monkey weather, you mean that it is very cold weather: Wear a hat — it's brass monkeys out there! The full expression is 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey', although this is not often used.

Where does the term brass monkey come from?

The expression: "It is cold enough to freeze the balls of a brass monkey" comes from the practice of putting iron cannon balls on a dimpled brass plate on the deck of a war-ship. When very cold the brass contracted sufficiently to cause the iron balls to fall out.

What drug is brass monkey?

Brass Monkey (cocktail)CocktailTypeMixed drinkServedOn the rocks; poured over iceStandard drinkwareHighball glassCommonly used ingredientsOne part dark rum One part vodka One part orange juice1 more row

What is the slang meaning of monkey?

a butt of derisionslang a butt of derision; someone made to look a fool (esp in the phrase make a monkey of)

What does monkey balls mean?

Monkey balls, for those who have not had the pleasure, are softball-sized "fruit" that have a surface texture much like an alien brain from the movie "Mars Attacks." Some people evidently call them hedge apples despite the fact that they look nothing like apples and grow on trees, not in hedges.

Is beer and OJ a brass monkey?

There's no denying that the Beastie Boys were responsible for popularizing the Brass Monkey, but the origins of the drink are much more mysterious. In fact, the Brass Monkey they were rapping about was not orange juice and beer (or malt liquor), but a canned precursor to Smirnoff Ice.

What is a 40 and orange juice called?

'Brass monkey,' Beastie Boys Fans everywhere pay tribute by mixing up their own versions of orange juice and a 40 in tribute to the band.

What is brass monkey beer?

Also called a Beermosa, this simple dinner or brunch cocktail is a combination of wheat beer, orange juice, and bitters.

What does this emoji mean 🐒?

What does 🐒 Monkey emoji mean? Monkeys. They are mischievous, cute, and … cute. This monkey emoji reflects that, with a sweet countenance and curled tail, sitting as if perched on a tree branch.

How much is a monkey in slang?

500 rupee4. Monkey (London via India) Though familiar to many Londoners, the term “monkey” is actually Indian slang for a 500 rupee note, which used to have a monkey on it. When the British Empire occupied India in the 19th century, some Indian slang words made it over to the UK, with “monkey” being one of them.

What is a tenner in Cockney slang?

Cockney Money Slang The first things you gotta learn are that five pounds is a fiver, and ten pounds is a tenner. Then you gotta know the key money values: £20 is a Score, £25 is a Pony, £100 is a Ton, £500 is a Monkey, and £1000 is a Grand. Here's our list of terms from the dictionary that are money-related.

What does "brass monkey" mean?

brass monkey. An indicator of extreme weather or temperature, typically the cold. It is usually used with the qualifier "enough," a verb, and some physical appendage of the monkey, most commonly in the semi-vulgar phrase, "cold enough to freeze the balls (testes) off a brass monkey.". After that blizzard set in, ...

Is Brass Monkey having Thanksgiving dinner?

The Brass Monkey will have a Thanksgiving Dinner menu at its Fuxing location on Nov. Top Thanksgiving dining options in Taipei for 2018. Before the birth of her family, Elswick's Judith Nutt was a regular Brass Monkey competitor and in 2006 posted her best-ever finish of third place in 78:56.

Why is the OED not recording the term "monkey" or "brass monkey"?

They give five main reasons: The OED does not record the term "monkey" or "brass monkey" being used in this way. The purported method of storage of cannonballs ("round shot") is simply false. The shot was not stored on deck continuously on the off-chance that the ship might go into battle.

What is the testes of a brass monkey?

The reference to the testes (as the term balls is commonly understood to mean) of the brass monkey appears to be a 20th-century variant on the expression, prefigured by a range of references to other body parts, especially the nose and tail.

What is the release mechanism of a brass monkey?

The release mechanism may be incorporated into a novelty "brass monkey" for "emasculating" the monkey when the temperature decreases to a predetermined temperature at which the balls in the "brass monkey" are permitted to drop to a base which is designed to produce an audible sound when struck by the balls.

What year did the Beastie Boys release Brass Monkey?

In 1986 , the hip hop band the Beastie Boys released a single called " Brass Monkey " from their album Licensed to Ill, although the song's lyrics are focused on the cocktail of the same name .

What poem has the words "It would freeze off a brass monkey's nose"?

The story "Henry Gardner" (10 April 1858) has "its blowing hard enough to blow the nose off a brass monkey". The poem "Lines on a heavy prospector and his recent doings in the North-West" (20 June 1865) has "It would freeze off a brass monkey's nose".

What is a monkey tail?

The "Monkey tail" was a short lever used for aiming the cannon. [Source: The Oxford English Dictionary. New York: Oxford University Press, 1933.] In the 1857 book Before the Mast by C.A. Abbey, it states on page 108 that, "It would freeze the tail off a brass monkey.".

What movie has the gall of a brass monkey?

The Story of Waitstill Baxter, by Kate Douglas Wiggin (1913) has "The little feller, now, is smart's a whip, an' could talk the tail off a brass monkey". The Ivory Trail, by Talbot Mundy (1919) has "He has the gall of a brass monkey". Brass Monkey, a 1948 British comedy thriller film starring Carroll Levis, Carole Landis and Herbert Lom.

What does it mean when you say "brass monkeys"?

ˌbrass ˈmonkey weather. ( British English, slang) if you say that it is brass monkeys or brass monkey weather, you mean that it is very cold weather: Wear a hat — it’s brass monkeys out there!The full expression is ‘cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey’, although this is not often used. It may refer to a brass rack called ...

What does "brass monkey" mean?

brass monkeys. Extremely cold, usually regarding the weather. Taken from the semi-vulgar phrase, "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey," or its derivative, "brass monkey weather.". Primarily heard in UK. Cor, it's brass monkeys out there tonight! See also: brass, monkey.

What does Kate Middleton do in the movie "The Brass Monkeys"?

Kate Middleton provides cuppas for shivering cops guarding her home. Ten degrees of frost just coming out of the ground, brass monkeys gave in it was that cold and a slimy two inch covering of mud, making life and limb vulnerable to the long distance sliding tackle.

What is a brass rack called?

It may refer to a brass rack called a monkey which was used to store cannonballs. When it was very cold, the brass contracted (= got smaller) and the balls fell off. See also: brass, monkey. Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017. See also:

What does Brass Monkey mean?

Extremely cold. From the expression "Freeze the balls off a brass monkey".

Other definitions of Brass Monkey

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