What is a brass monkey?

Answer 1

The cannon-ball story was made up about 10 years ago, along with a whole bunch of other bogus stories about common expressions.

A brass monkey is just that. If you prefer, you can refer to the more genteel version, "It's cold enough to freeze the buds off a brass rose bush"

Answer 2

The story goes that cannonballs used to be stored aboard ship in piles, on a brass frame or tray called a 'monkey'. In very cold weather the brass would contract, spilling the cannonballs: hence very cold weather is 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'. There are several problems with this story. The first is that the term 'monkey' is not otherwise recorded as the name for such an object. The second is that the rate of contraction of brass in cold temperatures is unlikely to be sufficient to cause the reputed effect. The third is that the phrase is actually first recorded as 'freeze the tail off a brass monkey', which removes any essential connection with balls. It therefore seems most likely that the phrase is simply a ribald allusion to the fact that metal figures will become very cold to the touch in cold weather (and some materials will become brittle). According to AskOxford. Either that, or somebody wanted to introduce underinsulated genitalea of monkeys into a common phrase

Answer 3

well brass monkey is a type of mixed drink

Answer 4

a monkey made of brass i suppose

Answer 5

A song by the beastie boys.

Brass monkey, monkey, that funky monkey

Answer 6

That Funky Monkey!

Answer 7

it was used to hold canon balls. when it got cold they would shrink and the balls would roll off. hence the term "cold enough to freeze the balls of a brass monkey"

Answer 8

It's a mixed drink with rum, vodka, and o.j.! Be careful it's a screwdriver with balls.