Brass monkeys
意味: Extremely cold (British)
This is British understatement in reverse—a way of saying it's absolutely freezing while keeping the conversation light. The truncated form avoids vulgarity while everyone knows the full phrase. It's emphatic, humorous, and peculiarly British—you'd use it while stamping your feet at a bus stop or justifying why you're wearing three jumpers. It suggests cold that's almost comical in its severity.
例文
- It's brass monkeys out there. 外面冷得要命Hace un frío que pela ahí fuera外はめちゃくちゃ寒い밖이 엄청 추워.
- Brass monkeys weather. 极冷的天气Tiempo de frío polar極寒の天気뼈가 시린 날씨야.
- Absolutely brass monkeys. 绝对冷死了Absolutamente helador本当に凍えるほど寒い정말 엄청나게 추워.
- Cold enough for brass monkeys.冷得够呛Hace un frío tremendo極寒だ얼어 죽을 만큼 추워.
発音
/brɑːs ˈmʌŋkiz/
使い方ガイド
場面: cold, very cold, British
トーン: casual, emphatic
✓ 正しい言い方
- Brass monkeys.冷死了Un frío que pela凍えるほど寒いBrass monkeys야.
- It's brass monkeys.冻死人了Hace un frío que pelaめちゃくちゃ寒い완전 brass monkeys야.
- Brass monkeys weather.冷得要命的天气Un tiempo gélido凍てつくような天気だBrass monkeys 날씨야.
✗ 間違った言い方
- Avoid saying the full phrase in polite company—the truncated form is understood在正式场合避免说完整短语（缩略形式就够了）Evitar decir la frase completa en compañía educada (la forma truncada se entiende)丁寧な場では元のフレーズを言わない（省略形で通じる）예의 바른 자리에서는 전체 표현을 말하지 마세요—줄인 형태로도 충분히 통합니다
- Americans may not know this expression—it's distinctly British美国人可能不知道这个表达（这是典型的英式表达）Los americanos pueden no conocer esta expresión (es distintivamente británica)アメリカ人には通じないかもしれない（イギリス特有の表現）미국인은 이 표현을 모를 수 있습니다—전형적인 영국 표현입니다
よくある間違い
- Explaining the supposed naval origin—historians now doubt the cannonball story
- Using for merely chilly weather—brass monkeys implies genuinely severe cold
起源と歴史
The full expression is 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.' The popular etymology claims this refers to 'brass monkeys'—triangular brass trays used on warships to stack cannonballs—which would contract in extreme cold and cause the balls to fall off. However, naval historians dispute this, noting that brass monkey trays aren't historically documented. More likely, it's simply a vivid 19th-century vulgarism that acquired a genteel folk etymology. The truncated 'brass monkeys' emerged as a polite alternative.
語源: Possibly from naval brass monkey
初出: British, 19th century
文化的背景
Era: 19th century onwards
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
Pop culture: British cold weather; British expressions
Regional notes: British expression. Full version is vulgar.
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