bold as brass

as bold as brass

In a brash, arrogant, or pushy manner. Can you believe that new hire went to the boss, as bold as brass, and asked for time off on his first day? That girl walked up, as bold as brass, and pushed her way to the front of the line!
See also: bold, brass
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

*bold as brass

very bold; bold to the point of rudeness. (*Also: as ~.) Lisa marched into the manager's office, bold as brass, and demanded her money back. The tiny kitten, as bold as brass, began eating the dog's food right under the dog's nose.
See also: bold, brass
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

bold as brass

Shameless, audacious, impudent. For example, No one had invited her to the wedding, but she showed up at the church, bold as brass. This alliterative simile plays on brass meaning "shamelessness." [c. 1700]
See also: bold, brass
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

bold as brass

INFORMAL
If someone does something bold as brass, they do it without being ashamed or embarrassed. Their leader, bold as brass, came improperly dressed, wearing a lounge suit while all the others were wearing black ties. Barry has come into the game bold as brass, brash and businesslike. Note: This expression may be based on an incident that occurred in Britain in 1770, when the newspaper the London Evening Post illegally published a report of Parliamentary proceedings. As a result, the printer was put in prison. The Lord Mayor, Brass Crosby, released him and was punished by being imprisoned himself. There were public protests and Crosby was soon released.
See also: bold, brass
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

(as) bold as ˈbrass

(British English, informal) without seeming ashamed or embarrassed; very cheeky: He came up to me, bold as brass, and asked me for five pounds.
See also: bold, brass
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

bold as brass

Shameless, impudent. This simile probably has the same source as brazen, which can mean either “made of brass” or “shameless,” “too bold.” The latter is older, dating at least from Shakespeare’s time (“What a brazen-faced varlet art thou!” King Lear, 2.2). The present cliché dates from the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century, although brass alone in the sense of “shameless” is older (sixteenth century). “Can any face of brass hold longer out?” wrote Shakespeare in Love’s Labour’s Lost (5.2), and Thomas Fuller (The Profane State, 1642) wrote still more explicitly, “His face is of brasse, which may be said either ever or never to blush.”
See also: bold, brass
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • as bold as brass
  • pushy
  • front off
  • spout off
  • hot shot
  • hotshot
  • hot-shot
  • Do you know who I am?
  • Don't you know who I am?
  • blowhard
References in periodicals archive
Jackie said: "Following the success of our last Bold As Brass production in March with the darker To The Edge, the team wanted to create a complete contrast by venturing into territory for a family-based audience.
News play from Bold as Brass; Theatre
The popular ladies choir will perform Bold as Brass at St Mark's Church in Bilton on Saturday, November 11, starting 7.30pm.
Have fun and help the hospice
SCOTS SINGLES 1 (-) Duck Sauce Barbra Streisand 2 (3) Bruno Mars Just The Way You Are (Amazing) 3 (1) Cee Lo Green Forget You 4 (-) Joe McElderry Ambitions 5 (4) Swedish House Mafia vs Tinie Miami 2 Ibiza 6 (5) Tinie Tempah Written In The Stars 7 (2) Robbie Williams & Gary Barlow Shame 8 (7) Labrinth Let The Sunshine 9 (25) Mike Posner Cooler Than Me 10 (-) Pixie Lott Broken Arrow SCOTS ALBUMS 1 (-) Robbie Williams In And Out Of Consciousness: Greatest Hits 2 (1) Tinie Tempah Disc-Overy 3 (2) The Script Science & Faith 4 (-) Belle & Sebastian Write About Love 5 (3) Mumford & Sons Sigh No More 6 (-) Alter Bridge AB III 7 (4) Brandon Flowers Flamingo 8 (-) Cliff Richard Bold As Brass 9 (6) Eminen Recovery 10 (7) Biffy Clyro Only Revolutions
DUCK SAUCE TASTE TOP SPOT WITH DEBUT; clubbing with stuart barrie singles and albums with john dingwall
The Bold as Brass Young People's Theatre Company are staging "Wor Stories" which explores the experiences of young people growing up during the Second World War.
Turn clock back for 'Wor Stories'
Yes, it may be difficult imagining the seemingly as bold as brass comedian being worried about anything, but seeing as she isn't a thespian by trade, it seemed that playing a nurse was causing a few palpitations.
Remark puts nurse Kim in hot water during finale; Comedy
He was bold as brass. The stuff would be pretty useless for anything but firewood - it's been in the sea for too long."
Public take planks from cargo ship; SALVAGE
1 (1) Cee Lo Green - Forget You 2 (4) Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are 3 (-) Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand 4 (5) Swedish House Mafia Vs Tinie - Miami 2 Ibiza 5 (3) Tinie Tempah Ft Eric Turner - Written In The Stars 6 (-) Joe McElderry - Ambitions 7 (2) Williams & Barlow - Shame 8 (6) Labrinth - Let The Sunshine 9 (22) Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me 10 (18) Usher Ft Pitbull - DJ Got Us 1 (-) Robbie Williams - In And Out Of Consciousness 2 (1) Tinie Tempah - Disc-overy 3 (-) Cliff Richard - Bold As Brass 4 (2) Script - Science & Faith 5 (-) Magnetic Man - Magnetic Man 6 (3) Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More 7 (6) Plan B - The Defamation of Strickland Banks 8 (-) Belle & Sebastian - Write About Love 9 (-) Alter Bridge - AB 111 10 (4) Phil Collins - Going Back
THE CHARTS; the Razz
The Bold As Brass theatre company's production Wor Stories provides a fascinating insight into the experiences, both humorous and tragic, of local young people during World War Two.
Wartime theatre
Roger Crawford, whose 86-year-old uncle had his pounds 3,000 vehicle snatched, said: "CCTV shows him getting on the scooter and driving away bold as brass. This man is a scumbag.
Cruel thief scoots off; ELDERLY
AS BOLD as brass, the International Trombone Festival has been taking Birmingham by storm.
Trombone a blast from past; REVIEW SLIDES RULE Symphony Hall
Bold as brass, I walked on to the studio set and confronted the man sitting there with photographic evidence of his relationship with my mother.
My mum and Des: the truth
The Bold As Brass Youth Theatre Group present the comedy play Do you See What I See at the John Wright Centre in Flagg Court next Monday between 7-9pm.
South Shields
One McDonald's worker who shopped him said: "He just walks in here bold as brass and steals customers' food they have just paid for."
YOU NAME CYCLE THIEVES