brass monkeys
See also: Brass Monkeys
English
editEtymology
editFrom the phrase cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey - supposedly a reference to the brass container for cannon balls on a British man-of-war (but this seems to have been discredited).
Pronunciation
editAudio (General Australian): (file)
Adjective
editbrass monkeys (not comparable)
- (British, Ireland, New Zealand, idiomatic, informal) very cold
- Blimey, it's brass monkeys out there today.