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Brass monkey

Posted by ESC on April 17, 2000

In Reply to: Brass monkey posted by Sandra on April 17, 2000

: Does anyone know what the Beastie Boys are singing about in Brass Monkey? I confess, to this day, I have no idea - it came up in conversation the other day, and I just smiled and played along. Thanks for the help!

If you'll type in "monkey" on the Search for a Phrase page, you'll find the phrase "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." It says:

"Of naval origin. The brass rails that held stacks of cannon balls on ships were called monkeys. When it was very cold the monkeys contracted and the balls fell off."

But I still wouldn't say this expression in front of the preacher and his wife.

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