And click across to my book Dreadnoughts Unleashed, available on Kindle. Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary, the webmaster's page for free fun content, PLAQUE ATTACK; 'Brass Monkey'protest group join fight against skate park demolition, Dodge plans to add two new appearance packages for 2016 Durango range, Brass Monkey reports acquisition of Emotely, The late, late show from 'Seinfeld' to 'Family Guy,' sitcom staffers seek post-workday solace in L.A.'s funkiest watering holes, Top Thanksgiving dining options in Taipei for 2018, Tracy retains title in popular half marathon; BIRTLEY RUNNER BEATS A SICKNESS BUG TO TRIUMPH, Suzuki announces Kizashi Ring of Fire racing game app. ‘Powder monkey’ – the sailor bringing powder to the guns, sometimes also known as the ‘powder boy’. According to legend, the term – in full, ‘cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey’ is neither nonsense, nor scatological. brass monkeys. The term brass monkey is used to refer to extremely cold weather in expressions such as brass-monkey weather. ed. Extremely cold, usually regarding the weather. There is a possibility that it referred to the traditional pawnbroker sign, with its three spheres; but this is not decisively proven. The reality was that shot – up to 120 tons of it in a three-deck ‘line-of-battle’ ship – was kept in ‘shot lockers’. That's brass monkey … "Brass monkey weather" is called thus because the temperature is so cold that "it would freeze the bollocks of a brass money". That funky Monkey. Brass Monkey is an idiom. The full expression is 'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'. I am lucky to have discovered this web site, it's exact... *Reserved for fictional story if I decide to*, Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. It's brass monkeys out there. Meaning of Brass Monkey. Early references to "brass monkeys" in the 19th century have no references to balls at all, but instead variously say that it is cold enough to freeze the tail, nose, ears, and whiskers off a brass monkey; or hot enough to "scald the throat" or "singe the hair" of a brass monkey. 'It's brass monkeys outside' Credit: Anthony Devlin/PA Used to describe cold weather, this saying derives from the traditional Navy phrase "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey". Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang. A brass monkey wasn’t a statue in brass depicting a monkey, but a brass stand where cannon balls were stacked. This last was a risk during the age of sail if a cannon’s restraining rope broke and it rolled about the deck in heavy seas, a danger to all around. In all probability, like so much about the English language and its phrases, the specifics of its origin in social usage are sufficiently diffuse, and the records sufficiently sparse, that they cannot be definitively pinned to any one moment or place. Cannonballs were never on 'Brass Monkeys'. Other definitions of Brass Monkey: All of our slang term and phrase definitions are made possible by our wonderful visitors. [4], 2. brass monkey weather definition: 1. extremely cold weather 2. extremely cold weather. Besides which, in the age of sail there was no such thing as a ‘brass monkey’ to hold what in naval parlance was actually called ‘shot’. ‘Monkey jacket’ – a style of uniform jacket common during They were innovative in their use of a brass section which was atypical for English folk music.. A drink made from mixing a 40oz bottle of malt liquor with orange juice. In a naval (and general nautical) sense, the word ‘monkey’ has had many uses, not all of them still current. Definition of brass monkey in the Definitions.net dictionary. Explore Urdupoint to find out more popular Idioms and Idiom Meanings, to amplify your writings Cor, it's brass monkeys out there tonight! From the phrase cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.According to the U.S. brass monkey weather meaning: 1. extremely cold weather 2. extremely cold weather. After that blizzard set in, it became cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. In very cold weather the brass would contract, spilling the cannonballs: hence very cold weather is 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'. Yes, I know there is no tea in LIit, it's just a splash of cola for color. (UK, idiomatic, informal) Very cold. The term survived in the US Navy at least into the 1860s.[6]. The first recorded use of the term "brass monkey" appears to dates to 1857 when it was used in an apparently vulgar context by C.A. The physics of metallurgy alone is a clue: the real difference in coefficient of expansion between brass and iron isn’t anywhere near enough to act as the myth suggests. Ship movement in any reasonably heavy weather would have been enough to dislodge it, causing the shot to roll about, probably joining that cannon mentioned earlier. This has been extensively discussed. For more on matters naval, check out the rest of the NGB site. An indicator of extreme weather or temperature, typically the cold. Possibly, the cannon balls were more likely to fall off in cold weather. As with many lesser-known cocktails that are named after colloquial expressions, widely differing recipes share the same name. The center has researched this because of the questions it gets and says the term “brass monkey” and a vulgar reference to the effect of cold on the monkey’s extremities, appears to have originated in the book “Before the Mast” by C.A. It all sounded very tidy and clever, but unfortunately none of it was even slightly true, and there is some evidence that this ‘explanation’ originated as recently as the 1980s.[1]. ‘Monkey island’ – the uppermost accessible part of the vessel, usually applied to merchant ships. One point seems certain: for all the mystery around its etymology, we can be reasonably sure that it is not a naval term. the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It’s monkeys outside comes from the phrase: “It’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.” This actually does not mean what you think it does. The Wordnet definition is incorrect. In the late 1800's it became an Americanism for cold weather. [Source: Lighter, J.E. The band originally consisted of Martin Carthy (vocals, guitar, mandolin), John Kirkpatrick (vocals, accordion, concertina), Howard Evans (), Roger Williams (), Martin Brinsford (born 17 August … Nor was shot stored in pyramidal stacks on deck anyhow, and for good reason. When it's time to get ill - … [2] When it was needed for firing, it was brought up and put in a ‘shot garland’, a plank with cannon-ball sized holes cut in it. Brass Monkey are an English folk band from the 1980s, who reunited in the late 1990s. Very popular with college kids trying to get drunk. Naval Historical Center, which cites the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, 'the first recorded use of the term "brass monkey" appears to dates [] to 1857 when it was used in an apparently vulgar context by C.A. The story goes that cannonballs used to be stored aboard ship in piles, on a brass frame or tray called a 'monkey'. Military Classics, Barnsley 2004, p. 28. Most of the early citations of 'brass monkey' phrases come from the USA. ‘it's brass monkey weather tonight’ Origin Mid 19th century often said to be from a type of brass rack or ‘monkey’ in which cannonballs were stored and which contracted in very cold weather, ejecting the balls, but this explanation has not been proved. Information and translations of brass monkey in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Abbey in his book Before the Mast, where on page 108 it says "It would freeze the tail off a brass monkey." This usage is derived from the hyperbolic phrase cold enough to freeze the nose (or the tail, the balls, etc.) It is one of the most commonly used expressions in English writings. HI Guys. Join our mailing list to receive the latest articles and receive our Newsletter! alexz commented on the word brass monkey. It was said that it was so cold that it would “freeze the tail off a brass monkey.” typically wore one with six instead of eight buttons.[5]. Naval history has given English some wonderful phrases – everything from the word ‘grog’ (liquor), to ‘hand over fist’, to ‘loose cannon’. There are several problems with this story, as follows: the term 'monkey' is not otherwise recorded as the name … The original use of Brass Monkey was in the 1850's to describe weather so hot that it would melt the feet or tail off of a brass monkey. The big one, of course, is ‘cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey’, often rendered as ‘brass monkey weather’. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Gosh, it's hot enough out here to melt the ears off a brass monkey. When the temperature dropped too far, apparently, the coefficient of expansion in the brass differed from that of the iron shot – so hey presto, the balls were pushed off the tray. All of these variations imply that an actual monkey is the subject of the metaphor, with balls being the surviving phrase. In a certain sense that seems plausible. brass monkey. What does brass monkey mean? Brass Monkey- that funky monkey. Define brass monkey. This … The phrase ‘Brass Monkey Weather’ refers to very cold weather that is extremely out of the ordinary; cold enough to freeze the tail, nose and ears of a brass monkey. In the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s the Heublein Company produced the premixed beer labeled Brass Monkey. I've bought bottles of it … Meaning of brass monkey. The tail of the monkey (as referred to by Charles Abbey above) was a metal lever used to aim the cannon. [Verse 2] Because. London slang. 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." Brass Monkey that funky Monkey Brass Monkey junkie That funky Monkey Because I drink it anytime and anyplace When it's time to get ill I pour it on my face Monkey tastes Def when you pour it on ice Come on y'all it's time to get nice Coolin' by the lockers getting kind of funky Me and the crew we're drinking Brass Monkey Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team. Brass Monkey (1948) is a British crime drama film directed by Thornton Freeland, starring Carroll Levis, formerly a radio variety show host, and American actress Carole Landis. Extremely cold weather, used by people of Sunderland and possibly Newcastle (I am not saying the 2 are the same, don't worry) as they are the only type of people who I have heard say it. Admiral Sir David Beatty Abbey in his book Before … Thanks for my approving / wazz user, new user ... My design for an oceanliner / troopship. brass monkey. Brass Monkey stands for (idiomatic, of the weather) Very cold.. Learn more. Brass. Brass drakes/monkeys were referred to in J. Heath's Flagellum, 1663: Twenty-eight Brass Drakes called Monkeys. ‘Monkey’ or ‘munkey’ – a type of naval cannon from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, usually made of brass, also known as a ‘drake’ or a ‘dog’. Example: The weatherman says minus 10 degrees and strong winds for tomorrow. The term survived in the US Navy at least into the 1860s. This drink was popularized in the Beastie Boys song, " Brass Monkey ". 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