Re: Brass monkey

Posted by Bob on September 25, 2000

In Reply to: Re: Brass monkey posted by ESC on September 24, 2000

: : : What is the meaning and origin of:
: : : Cold enough to freeze the balls of a brass monkey

: : We've had this one before. Here's my version!
: : It's cold enough to freeze the balls from a brass monkey is an expression with slightly genital overtones used to describe very cold weather. The truth is quite different. In the old wooden Men-of-War the powder was taken from the powder magazine to the gun decks by young boys. These boys were frequently orphans or waifs taken off the streets. The passages and stairs along which they carried the powder were so narrow that only boys, and not men, could get through. They were known as "powder monkeys"; the cannon balls were stored in brass rings near the guns themselves. By analogy these rings were called "brass monkeys". On cold days they would contract with the result that the cannon balls would be squeezed out of the ring - hence the saying.

: My two cents worth is that I still wouldn't use this phrase in front of polite company even if the origin doesn't have anything to do with male body parts. The same with "balls to the wall."

Another two cents: nobody should use cliches to generate small talk about the weather. Or, for that matter, crabgrass and train schedules. If you can't come up with something original, move to another topic. No one will be amused or enlightened. The fact that this particular phrase is (or is construed to be) vulgar only intensifies the offence: skip the boring chitchat altogether.

See also - the meaning and origin of 'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'.