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Don Phillipson
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:20 pm
Post subject: Brass monkey anatomy |
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Nicholas Monsarrat's first publication (about
1941, reissued postwar as part of Three Corvettes)
genteely reported a sailor's opinion that it was cold
enough in the North Atlantic to freeze the ears off
a brass monkey . . .
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
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John Dean
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 4:16 am
Post subject: Re: Brass monkey anatomy |
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Don Phillipson wrote:
| Quote: | Nicholas Monsarrat's first publication (about
1941, reissued postwar as part of Three Corvettes)
genteely reported a sailor's opinion that it was cold
enough in the North Atlantic to freeze the ears off
a brass monkey . . .
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And then he met Dorothy Parker at a cocktail party and she said "So
you're the young man who can't spell "balls"."?
--
John Dean
Oxford |
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Weatherlawyer
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 7:25 pm
Post subject: Re: Brass monkey anatomy |
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John Dean wrote:
| Quote: | Don Phillipson wrote:
Nicholas Monsarrat's first publication (about
1941, reissued postwar as part of Three Corvettes)
genteely reported a sailor's opinion that it was cold
enough in the North Atlantic to freeze the ears off
a brass monkey . . .
Wow! |
| Quote: | And then he met Dorothy Parker at a cocktail party and she said "So
you're the young man who can't spell "balls"."?
Wow!! |
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fred
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 3:48 pm
Post subject: Re: Brass monkey anatomy |
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Weatherlawyer wrote:
| Quote: |
John Dean wrote:
Don Phillipson wrote:
Nicholas Monsarrat's first publication (about
1941, reissued postwar as part of Three Corvettes)
genteely reported a sailor's opinion that it was cold
enough in the North Atlantic to freeze the ears off
a brass monkey . . .
Wow!
And then he met Dorothy Parker at a cocktail party and she said "So
you're the young man who can't spell "balls"."?
Wow!!
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Hece the term "brassmonkeous"!
Fred |
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Raymond S. Wise
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 11:34 pm
Post subject: Re: Brass monkey anatomy |
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Don Phillipson wrote:
| Quote: | Nicholas Monsarrat's first publication (about
1941, reissued postwar as part of Three Corvettes)
genteely reported a sailor's opinion that it was cold
enough in the North Atlantic to freeze the ears off
a brass monkey . . .
|
It looks as if this may be a traditional euphemism for the original
expression, like "up the creek without a paddle" for "up shit creek
without a paddle" and "taking the mickey" for "taking the piss." A
Google search for
"freeze the ears off a brass monkey" -balls -anatomy
returns 70 hits.
--
Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com |
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Mike Lyle
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 12:30 am
Post subject: Re: Brass monkey anatomy |
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Raymond S. Wise wrote:
| Quote: | Don Phillipson wrote:
Nicholas Monsarrat's first publication (about
1941, reissued postwar as part of Three Corvettes)
genteely reported a sailor's opinion that it was cold
enough in the North Atlantic to freeze the ears off
a brass monkey . . .
It looks as if this may be a traditional euphemism for the original
expression, like "up the creek without a paddle" for "up shit creek
without a paddle" and "taking the mickey" for "taking the piss." A
Google search for
"freeze the ears off a brass monkey" -balls -anatomy
returns 70 hits.
|
You go into the pub on a crisp evening and say "There's a brass
monkey out there looking for a welder." But I'm glad you identified
"taking the m/Mickey" as a euphemism for "taking the piss". My
Irish-Yorks b-i-l claims the expression is an offensive racist
reference to the supposed density of the Irish head, no matter how
fervently I assure him it's a 19C medical reference to micturition.
But let's note that some Irishmen do perceive it that way. Oh, dear!
Yet another tabu...
--
Mike. |
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John Dean
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 7:32 pm
Post subject: Re: Brass monkey anatomy |
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Mike Lyle wrote:
| Quote: | Raymond S. Wise wrote:
Don Phillipson wrote:
Nicholas Monsarrat's first publication (about
1941, reissued postwar as part of Three Corvettes)
genteely reported a sailor's opinion that it was cold
enough in the North Atlantic to freeze the ears off
a brass monkey . . .
It looks as if this may be a traditional euphemism for the original
expression, like "up the creek without a paddle" for "up shit creek
without a paddle" and "taking the mickey" for "taking the piss." A
Google search for
"freeze the ears off a brass monkey" -balls -anatomy
returns 70 hits.
You go into the pub on a crisp evening and say "There's a brass
monkey out there looking for a welder." But I'm glad you identified
"taking the m/Mickey" as a euphemism for "taking the piss". My
Irish-Yorks b-i-l claims the expression is an offensive racist
reference to the supposed density of the Irish head, no matter how
fervently I assure him it's a 19C medical reference to micturition.
But let's note that some Irishmen do perceive it that way. Oh, dear!
Yet another tabu...
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Oh Mickey you're so fine you're so fine you blow my mind oh Mickey ...
I remember Tabu as Mowgli in the Jungle Book. And the Thief of Baghdad.
--
John Dean
Oxford |
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Pat Durkin
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 10:19 pm
Post subject: Re: Brass monkey anatomy |
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"John Dean" <john-dean@frag.lineone.net> wrote in message
news:djlc4j$r7p$1@news8.svr.pol.co.uk...
| Quote: | Mike Lyle wrote:
Raymond S. Wise wrote:
Don Phillipson wrote:
Nicholas Monsarrat's first publication (about
1941, reissued postwar as part of Three Corvettes)
genteely reported a sailor's opinion that it was cold
enough in the North Atlantic to freeze the ears off
a brass monkey . . .
"freeze the ears off a brass monkey" -balls -anatomy
returns 70 hits.
You go into the pub on a crisp evening and say "There's a brass
monkey out there looking for a welder." But I'm glad you identified
"taking the m/Mickey" as a euphemism for "taking the piss". Oh,
dear!
Yet another tabu...
Oh Mickey you're so fine you're so fine you blow my mind oh Mickey ...
I remember Tabu as Mowgli in the Jungle Book. And the Thief of
Baghdad.
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I remember Sabu in that role.
http://www.junglebook-collection.nl/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Sabu
Of course, the Sabu name is not rare, nor is the Tabu name.
http://www.bharatstars.com/GetPage.php?DocID=1410 |
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CDB
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 8:05 am
Post subject: Re: Brass monkey anatomy |
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"izzy" <cohen.izzy@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1130894502.899794.266840@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | "freeze the balls off a brass monkey" is the transliteration _and_
translation of a Semitic pun on a Semitic phrase meaning "shiver
frozen".
The plain text is PeLeTZ = shiver, tremble (compare English palsy)
+
K'Foo = frozen
The pun is P'LiZ = brass + KoF = monkey
Pronouncing P as B in Arabic, P'LiZ KoF transliterates as BaLLS
[K]oFF
hence "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey"
[...] |
Well. I dunno. It's all very confusing. Are you sure that isn't just
what the doctor says when holding your balls in their cold, cold
hands? "Toran yarad", which as we all know means "(The) person on duty
(who) has dropped ('em)", and "P'liz KoF(F)". |
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ray o'hara
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 8:05 am
Post subject: Re: Brass monkey anatomy |
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"izzy" <cohen.izzy@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1130894502.899794.266840@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | "freeze the balls off a brass monkey" is the transliteration _and_
translation of a Semitic pun on a Semitic phrase meaning "shiver
frozen".
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Is it really now. Now why do I doubt that. |
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izzy
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 8:05 am
Post subject: Re: Brass monkey anatomy |
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"freeze the balls off a brass monkey" is the transliteration _and_
translation of a Semitic pun on a Semitic phrase meaning "shiver
frozen".
The plain text is PeLeTZ = shiver, tremble (compare English palsy) +
K'Foo = frozen
The pun is P'LiZ = brass + KoF = monkey
Pronouncing P as B in Arabic, P'LiZ KoF transliterates as BaLLS [K]oFF
hence "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey"
Idioms of this type are simply the English-ification via
transliteration of a foreign phrase into common English words. Other
examples (using 3 for aiyin and [T] for shin):
kick the bucket < Semitic 3aGaV B'3a:DeN = "make love in Paradise"
spill the beans < Hebrew SaPeR eT haBiNah = tell the meaning
(he doesn't) know beans about < BiNah = meaning; understanding
cat out of the bag < Aramaic Ki[T]oT = truth + BaGaD = betray
be left holding the bag < BaGaD = to be betrayed
face the music < Yiddish MaSKoNeh < Heb MaSKaNah = inference,deduction
Other English idioms are formed by _translating_ foreign idioms or puns
where the _transliteration_ was from one foreign language into the same
or another foreign language. Examples (using 3 for aiyin and @ for
aleph):
escape by the skin of my teeth < Job 19:20 B'3oR SHiNai pun on Heb
B'QoSHi = barely
count sheep < Hebrew pun S'PoR TZo@N on Latin sopor sond = sleep deep
ciao,
izzy ... with an axe to grind < German Acht(ung) = beware +
(Beweg)grund = motive |
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