Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (Aus.) a confidence trickster.

1927		C. Samolar ‘Argot of the Vagabond’ in AS II:9 388: The term is used chiefly by brass-men,—vags who peddle phoney jewelry (brass) to yokels.
1953		Baker Aus. Speaks.

2. (US Und.) a politician or one who has influence among politicians.

1939

Howsley Argot: Dict. of Und. Sl.

(US) a performer on the cornet.

1938

Eve. Sun (Baltimore, MD) 19 Dec. 21/4: Brass officer: cornet player.

(US tramp) a person who sells imitation gold jewellery.

1926		J. Black You Can’t Win 111: ‘Brass peddlers,’ bums who sold imitation gold jewelry, principally rings, appeared on the streets with their ninety-cents-a-dozen gold ‘hoops’ made in Wichita, Kansas, and ‘dropped’ them to the Indian squaws and railroad laborers for any price from one dollar up […]. [Ibid.] There is no more industrious person than a half-drunk brass peddler out on the street ‘making a plunge’ for enough coin to buy himself another micky of alcohol.
1933		‘Goat’ Laven Rough Stuff 13: All the boys from brass peddlers (petty confidence men) to stick-up men used to go there. A brass peddler is a fellow that buys fake jewelry, and stamps it 14 carat.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).

to go through life cheerfully, without much regard for the feelings of others.

1937–84

Partridge DSUE (1984) 129/2: from ca. 1918.

to pay money owed.

1900

Marvel XIV:344 June 1: You’ll take any oath as is put to yer that you’ll brass down to them outside what’ll be named for to take it?

to bluff, bluster or brazen one’s way out of a situation.

1831		A. Royall Southern Tour 195: A few of the exquisites came down the bluff to gaze at me, and a scape-gallows fellow, to brass it out, came on board — I was grieved to see such impudence in so young a man.
1850		Brighton Gaz. 17 Jan. 5/4: Those, however, who prefer living by their wits, instead of their hands, ought [...] to use a slang phrase of the fraternity, ‘brass’ out everything.
1862		F. Browne Castelford Case 72: Them Protestants always takes to worldly things, instead of true religion [...] they think to brass it out, and look grand and fine.
1877		Century Mag. 14 385/1: The fellow tried to brass it out, but Davney's tirade took him off his feet. He fell into a chair and could not say a word.
1895		Railway Herald Mag. 1-2 14: I don’t think it was a very successful attempt, but I managed to brass it out until assistance arrived.
1904		R. Leighton Other Fellow 101: Trust to luck. Brass it out. There’s nothing like audacity.
1915		H.L. Wilson Ruggles of Red Gap 288: He apparently resolved to brass it out, for he glanced full at me with a terrific assumption of bravado.
1947		J. Coast Railroad of Death 143: I tore out all the most unpleasant things about the Nips and hoped to brass it out if it were called in.
1951		C.F. Potter Preacher & I 350: Would he brass it out? After all, he must have some nerve if he was a cop- killer .
1969		J.D.MacDonald Shades of Travis McGee 397: They tried to brass it out for a little while. But the redhead started snuffling and choking.
1980		Economist 277 77/2: When the scandal first broke the conglomerate [...] tried to brass it out.
1998		I. Welsh Filth 204: Then Lennox reluctantly disappears, trying to brass it out.
2009		L. McIlvanney All the Colours 190: ‘He’d brass it out. He never said it anyway’.
2010		K. Richards Life n.p.: I said, ‘We’ve got to brass it out, Stu.’.

see separate entry.

1. to hand over money; to pay a debt.

1890		Sporting Times 25 Jan. 1/5: If you don’t brass up I shall put you orf the ’bus.
1898		Binstead & Wells A Pink ’Un and a Pelican 175: Romano brassed up the thick ’uns.
c.1900		Bateman & LeBrunn [perf. Vesta Victoria] A 'oliday on One Pound Ten 🎵 [T]he money shrunk a bit when we brassed up the fare.
1906		E. Pugh Spoilers 7: Brassin’ up my deaner for a chair.
1916		T. Burke Limehouse Nights 295: If yeh don’t brass up by Wednesday night – then I’ll see that yeh get it where the bottle got the cork.
1924		G. Henderson Keys to Crookdom 399: Brass up. To divide stolen goods, to split, cut up, to divvy.
1934		Wodehouse Right Ho, Jeeves 79: He brassed up like an officer and a gentleman.
1949		Wodehouse Mating Season 78: And Gussie brassed up and was free?
1954		Wodehouse Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit 71: Don’t these blokes want to see books and figures and things before they brass up.
1971		Wodehouse Much Obliged, Jeeves 54: I presumed Uncle Tom would brass up.

2. (W.I., Bdos) to scold, to reprimand.

1970

F. Collymore Notes for Gloss. of Barbadian Dial. 21: The sergeant brassed up his men when he heard they had let the prisoner escape, i.e. gave them a good ‘dressing down’.

(US) to drink, i.e. place one’s foot on the bar’s brass footrail.

1908

A. Stringer Under Groove 8: [A] broken-down pick-up named Sherwood, who'd pounded the brass on one of the Chicago pool-room barges.

(US Und.) to peddle fake or cheap jewellery.

1933

Ersine Und. and Prison Sl. 20: Johnny and his beetle are out now, trying to shove the brass.