# brass monkey

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/brass-monkey
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Very cold.

## Examples

- It's brass monkey outside today.
- Turn the heating on because it is brass monkey in this office.
- We wanted to go for a walk, but it was brass monkey, so we stayed in.
- You should wear your thickest coat because it is brass monkey on the train platform this morning.
- The water in the lake was brass monkey, so only the bravest swimmers jumped in for a dip.
- The wind howled through the empty streets, and by midnight it was brass monkey, forcing even the stray cats to seek shelter.

## Origin

From the phrase cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. According to the U.S. Naval Historical Center, which cites the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, 'the first recorded use of the term "brass monkey" appears to dates^([sic]) to 1857 when it was used in an apparently vulgar context by C.A. Abbey in his book Before the Mast in the Clippers, where on page 108 it says "It would freeze the tail off a brass monkey."' A number of false etymologies have been suggested. For more information, see brass monkey on Wikipedia.Wikipedia (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.