| 单词 | cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey |
| 释义 | > as lemmascold enough to freeze the balls (also tail, etc.) off a brass monkey P1. slang. cold enough to freeze the balls (also tail, etc.) off a brass monkey: extremely cold. Also in similar and allusive phrases, occasionally referring to extreme heat rather than cold.It has been suggested that this phrase alludes to a brass rack, called a monkey, used to stack cannonballs on ships (cf. perhaps monkey n. 13), from which the balls might be expelled as a result of the metal contracting in extreme cold weather, but this has not been proven. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > cold weather > [phrase] > very cold cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey1847 1835 F. Chamier Unfortunate Man I. iv. 117 He was told to be silent, in a tone of voice which set me shaking like a monkey in frosty weather.] 1847 H. Melville Omoo liii. 207 Under a sun which, as Shorty said, ‘was hot enough to melt the nose hoff a brass monkey’. 1857 C. A. Abbey Diary 16 Jan. in H. A. Gosnell Before Mast (1937) viii. 108 It would freeze the tail off a brass monkey. 1870 J. C. Duval Adventures Big-Foot Wallace xxv. 148 It is hot enough to scald the throat out of a brass monkey. 1889 J. S. Farmer Americanisms 86/1 Cold enough to freeze the nose off a brass monkey is a simile for intense cold amongst some people. 1921 D. O. Stewart Parody Outl. of Hist. vii. 153 I wisht de General would hurry up and come—it's getting cold enough to freeze the tail off a brass monkey. 1935 T. Wolfe Of Time & River iv. 67 That old pukey stuff! Why, it'd rot the guts of a brass monkey! 1937 E. Partridge Dict. Slang 528/2 Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. 1959 B. Cochrell Barren Beaches of Hell 4 This weather'd freeze the rigs on a brass monkey. 1967 D. Potter Nigel Barton Plays 32 A bit cold... Brass monkey weather, eh? 1972 Evening Telegram (St. John's, Newfoundland) 5 Aug. 3/1 Here's Smallwood still putting up a brass-monkey face right to the bitter end. 1981 B. Carter Black Fox Running xxxix. 260 Wake up, Scoble, the sentry said. It's brass monkey weather... Dear God, wasn't it cold! 1988 Pract. Photogr. Jan. 49/4 It the weather's a bit brass monkey-ish you need warm clothing. 1994 Camping Mag. Jan. 4/1 David will be doing his best to show you how to keep warm under canvas even if the temperature outside has dipped to brass monkey level. 1997 Empire Sept. 104/2 The Garden Cinema in Hull..was closed due to the brass monkeys-style air conditioning provided by the whipping wind. < as lemmas |
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