English

Adjective

brass monkey ‎(not comparable)

1. (idiomatic, of the weather) Very cold.

   It's brass monkey weather today, isn't it?

   • 1987, Brian Carter, Jack:

     This is brass monkey weather and it'll get worse.

   • 1997, Maeve Haran, A family affair:

     I forgot it'd be brass monkey weather in good old London.

   • 2005, John G. Watson, The Golden Ball, page 115:

     Had to milk cows besides, and them winters up there in Wisconsin is brass monkey cold.

References

1. 1 2 Term: brass monkey, from the Naval Historical Center of the U.S. Department of the Navy.
2. ↑ J.E. Lighter (editor), Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Random House (1994), page 262.
3. ↑ Brass monkeys from Snopes.com