What does freeze the balls off a brass monkey mean?

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'? If it's said to be 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey' it is very cold indeed. This expression, which is normally used in relation to the weather is also known by the derivative phrase - brass monkey weather.

What is freeze the balls off a brass monkey?

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.

Where does the expression cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey come from?

The story goes that cannonballs used to be stored aboard ship in piles, on a brass frame or tray called a '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'.

What does its brass monkeys out there mean?

This saying means to have something embarrassing to hide and originates from how grave-robbers and murderers would hide remains that they had stolen in order to supply them to medical schools and doctors. The research was conducted by linguists Franz Andres Morrissey and Jurg Strassler for Privilege Insurance.

What temperature is cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey?

If the base of the stack were one metre long, the drop in temperature needed to make the 'monkey' shrink relative to the balls by just one millimetre, would be around 100 degrees Celsius.

What is the origin of "Freezing the Balls Off of a Brass Monkey"? - Famous Phrases with Eddie Brill

What's a monkey in cockney rhyming slang?

The most widely recognised Cockney rhyming slang terms for money include 'pony' which is £25, a 'ton' is £100 and a 'monkey', which equals £500. Also used regularly is a 'score' which is £20, a 'bullseye' is £50, a 'grand' is £1,000 and a 'deep sea diver' which is £5 (a fiver).

What does brass monkey mean in slang?

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.

What is the origin of the saying brass neck?

It derives from an extension of the metaphor "stick [one's] neck out", according to this source.

Is brass monkey a naval term?

It is widely believed that a brass monkey is a brass tray used in naval ships during the Napoleonic Wars for the storage of cannonballs (piled up in a pyramid). The theory goes that the tray would contract in cold weather, causing the balls to fall off.

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.

What is a Monkey Island on a ship?

The term “monkey island” refers to a place on the ship which is located at the top most accessible height. Technically, it is a deck located directly above the navigating bridge of the ship. It is also referred to as the flying bridge on top of a pilothouse or chart house, and also as the ship's upper bridge.

What is a brass neck slang?

So if someone is described as having a brass neck, it means they are confident and say or do what they want but doesn't understand their behaviour might be unacceptable to others.

What does having a hard neck mean?

adjective. Obstinate, inflexible; also (and in earliest use) as noun (with the and plural agreement) obstinate people as a class.

What does hard neck mean?

noun. Irish informal audacity; nerve.

What is a Brass Monkey 40 oz?

Beastie Boys fans were shocked this week when Mike D told WNYC's Studio 360 that what the band was rapping about in their 1986 hit “Brass Monkey” was not, after all, a 40-ounce bottle of malt liquor mixed with orange juice.

Why is 300 a carpet?

The term has since the early 1900s been used by bookmakers and horse-racing, where carpet refers to odds of three-to-one, and in car dealing, where it refers to an amount of £300.

What is a gorilla in money terms?

Gorilla: A thousand dollars.

Why is a piano called a Joanna?

Keep in mind that some cockney rhyming slang can only be understood if you're familiar with the cockney accent. For instance, “Aunt Joanna” means “piano.” That's because in cockney English, “piano” is pronounced “pianna,” which rhymes with “Joanna.”

Why are my neck muscles so hard?

A stiff neck often occurs when one of the muscles becomes strained or tense. Stiffness can also develop if one or more of the vertebrae is injured. A stiff neck may become painful when a person tries to move their neck or head. Usually, a stiff neck results from a minor injury or incident.

What does brass face mean?

To have the will to do something bold, rude, or impudent; to have the nerve to do something. Wow, I can't believe that intern had the brass face to ask for a raise on her first day!

What is the meaning of stat?

◊ Stat comes from the Latin word statim, which means “immediately.”

What was the poop deck on a ship?

The poop deck is basically used by the vessel's commanding superiors to observe the work and navigational proceedings. Technically, it is the deck that forms the roof of a cabin built in the aft part of the superstructure of the ship. 2. Main Deck: As the name suggests, the main deck is the primary deck in any vessel.

What is monkey ladder?

Definition of monkey ladder

: a light ship's ladder (as to the monkey bridge)