brass
1. noun, slang High-ranking officers or officials, especially in the military. The brass came in and assumed command of the whole operation. You can't talk back to that guy, he's part of the brass! We're waiting for the brass to get here and tell us what we're supposed to do next.
2. noun, informal Bold, brazen, or impudent self-confidence. I can't believe he had the brass to demand a raise, right there in the middle of the meeting! You've got some brass, talking to me like that! The brass of you—how dare you imply something so horrid!
3. noun, slang Money. Primarily heard in UK. He just flashed a little brass, and the security guard let us through. A: "How's the construction project going?" B: "It's getting expensive! I didn't know it took so much brass to get anything done in this town." I'm sure that guy would answer your questions for the right amount of brass.
4. noun, slang A prostitute. From Cockney rhyming slang, in which "brass" is a shortening of "brass flute," "brass door," "brass dart," or "brass nail," which rhyme with "prostitute," "whore," "tart," and "tail," respectively. Primarily heard in UK. It's no surprise to me that the only woman a scumbag like him can get is a brass. I bet you'll be able to find a brass in a seedy part of town like this. She was actually a brass for a number of years before she saved enough money to go to college in another state.
brassed
Irritated, disgruntled, or exasperated. Primarily heard in UK. John's just a bit brassed with us at the moment, so let's leave him alone. All right, kids, stop pestering your father—he's getting brassed. Of course I'm brassed—those jerks questioned my decision-making in front of the entire team!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.