brass monkey



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 off a brass monkey. Gosh, it's hot enough out here to melt the ears off a brass monkey.
See also: brass, monkey

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Aletheaal-ə-THEE-ə, ə-LEE-thee-əEnglish
Geoffroi-Medieval French
Grayson['greisn]
Udo (2)-Western African, Igbo
Helladios-Late Greek
Hilaire-French