# Brass Monkey Question: **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 15, 2001, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brass-monkey-question/54587 "2001-02-15T14:55:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oicu812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f475e1/32.png) [@Oicu812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oicu812)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brass-monkey-question/54587/1 "2001-02-15T14:55:36Z")
My Grandfather often used the phrase “It’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey!”. I asked him about this several years ago, and he told me that it was an old sailors’ term from the time of wooden ships, and had something to do with cannons… Is this true, and what was it referring to? ## O Vidi Vici Veni! ---
**Author:** ![bare](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bare/32/471_2.png) [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brass-monkey-question/54587/2 "2001-02-15T15:39:00Z")
Partly, a brass monkey is a form made from brass, used to stack cannon balls. These would typically be used in front of a courthouse or battle field for display purposes. Cold weather can cause expansion, contraction enough to dislodge the cannon balls, thus the expression “cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.” ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brass-monkey-question/54587/3 "2001-02-15T15:40:18Z")
In a nutshell, no, it isn’t. For details: [http://www.snopes.com/spoons/fracture/brass.htm](http://www.snopes.com/spoons/fracture/brass.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Ivar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ivar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivar)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brass-monkey-question/54587/4 "2001-02-15T16:03:06Z")
Brass monkey, that funky monkey! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brass-monkey-question/54587/5 "2001-02-15T17:42:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ivar \* > \*\*Brass monkey, that funky monkey! \*\* Got this dance that’s more than real Drink Brass Monkey, here’s how you feel Put your left leg down, your right leg up Tilt your head back, let’s finish the cup MCA with the bottle - D rocks the can Adrock gets nice with Charlie Chan We’re offered Moet, we don’t mind Chivas Wherever we go with bring the Monkey with us Adrock drinks three, Mike D is D. Double-R foots the bill most definitely I drink Brass Monkey and I rock well I got a castle in Brooklyn That’s where I dwell! Obviously, a Brass Monkey is a drink. The Beastie Boys say so. ---
**Author:** ![Ivar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ivar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivar)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brass-monkey-question/54587/6 "2001-02-15T20:55:11Z")
Yes it is a drink… Equal parts rum and vodka, topped with orange juice. It is also available premixed at your local liquor store. ---
**Author:** ![mighty\_maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@mighty\_maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mighty_maxx)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brass-monkey-question/54587/7 "2001-02-15T23:12:41Z")
Buy your own ball frezin Brass Monkey here [http://www.b17.com/aleph.htm](http://www.b17.com/aleph.htm) ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brass-monkey-question/54587/8 "2001-02-15T23:27:50Z")
An Australian euphemism for this is “freeze the walls off a bark humpy” (a humpy is an Aboriginal lean-to hut).