British expression from longer phrase ‘cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey’.
Brass monkeys
Etymology & History
British freezing cold. From 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'. British weather exaggeration. Naval British origin debated. Reflects British cold weather hyperbole.
Word Details
📍
Region
General British
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Era
Modern
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Language
Mild
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Formality
Informal
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Anglotopia's Dictionary of British English 2nd Edition
British Slang from A to Zed
By Jonathan Thomas
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