Idiom
brass monkeys
Meanings
Used in an informal phrase to mean extremely cold weather.
Definition
“Brass monkeys” is used in the phrase “cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey,” meaning extremely cold weather.
“Brass monkeys” is a British-English expression mainly heard in the humorous, informal saying “cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.” It emphasizes that the temperature is brutally cold. The phrase is not usually used outside this fixed expression. Because it includes crude language in its full form, speakers often shorten it to “cold enough to freeze a brass monkey.”
Examples
- It’s brass monkeys outside, so wear your warmest coat.
- We waited for the bus in brass monkeys weather and our hands went numb.
- The campsite was brass monkeys at night, even with a sleeping bag.
- I’m not running this morning—it's brass monkeys out there.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes use “brass monkeys” alone without a context of extreme cold, but it’s mainly used to describe very cold weather.
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