Whiteisms
The Archive

Etymology Journal ยท C

Cold as a brass toilet seat

Meaning

Used to describe a very freezing temperature, usually outdoors in the winter. It paints a vivid, albeit slightly unpleasant, mental picture.

Crude, vivid

Used in a sentence

  • I wouldn't want to be out there today, it's as cold as a brass toilet seat.
  • Don't forget your coat because it's cold as a brass toilet seat outside.
  • I hopped in the car and the steering wheel was cold as a brass toilet seat.

The backstory

This is a folksy Americanism that likely emerged in the early 20th century as indoor plumbing became common. The icy feeling of brass against skin is a memorable sensation for many.

Heard in

The South

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