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Meaning & History
Transferred use of the surname Brass. Alternately, could be taken directly from the English word brass, a metal alloy of copper and zinc, possibly derived from Proto-Germanic brasō "fire, pyre". Brass Crosby (1725-1793) was Lord Mayor of London in 1790, named for his mother’s maiden name. He had a famous run-in with the British Government over freedom of the press. It is said that his defiant attitude in the affair gave rise to the expression 'as bold as brass'.