http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BrassBalls

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When someone does something that's very brave, or at least very risky, it is said that they have Brass Balls, even if they are female. No reason has ever been given for why brass balls are either braver or more foolish than meatballs or billiard balls or... any kind of ball at all, really.note It's probably some sort of odd metaphor involving the term "brazen." The balls part we get, though. Evidently there is a direct correlation between them and boldness. Apparently it originated from pawnshops (with their distinctive brass balls hanging outside) where sellers would drive a hard bargain.

Elemental Crafting may come into play; superior to brass balls are balls of iron, beaten out only by balls of steel.

See Testosterone Poisoning for more information.

Not to be confused with Balls of Steel, where one has balls tough enough to withstand a Groin Attack.

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Examples:

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Anime and Manga

In Slayers, a bandit says to Lina: "You have some balls, kiddie! Oh wait, you don't, you're a girl."

In the Hetalia Bloodbath 2010, China utters this immortal line to Hong Kong: China: Choosing to go naked rather than wear a maid outfit? ...YOU'VE GOT BALLS-ARU!!

The English Dub of Rosario + Vampire plays this nearly word for word when Kou accidentally looks up Inner Moka's and Kokoa's skirts. Inner Moka: Well, you've got some big, brass ones, I'll give ya that much.

Comic Books

Micronauts: The Micronaut once stated that it has literal brass balls.

There is a character that literally has this as a last name in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, although this is rather inexplicable given his Ambulance Chaser and Dirty Coward tendencies as elaborated in his interviews concerning the riots in Gotham City.

Fan Works

In The Ballad of Twilight Sparkle, two cops are described this way for requesting an audience with the local resident God-Emperor: 'the sheer atomic weight of [their] solid plutonium reproductive organs would make escape velocity all but impossible.'

In Flight: Due to the multiple stunts Shirou pulled, Uzume had described him this way. Start with "Bowling balls" and it's currently at "Giant brass beach balls".

In White Knight, Grey Queen Harry reveals the deception and ambush he has planned for the Death Eaters to the Order of the Phoenix. George: Brass, I think, and very heavy.

Fred: And thats why he always has Pansy and Ginny with him; he needs other people to carry them around for him.

Mrs. Weasley: What on earth are you two talking about?

Fred: Harry's balls. Because they must be as big as a house and made of brass.

Harry reveals the deception and ambush he has planned for the Death Eaters to the Order of the Phoenix. This Bites!: Lampshaded when Cross asks why Nami is always attacking his head or his groin, she yells back that they're both such large targets.

In Harry Potter and the Final Straw Neville disarms Snape when he tries to curse Harry in the back. Harry: You pick your moments to show you're a Gryff, but when you do... wow. Careful you don't bruise your legs with those big brass ones that just dropped back in the hallway.

Neville disarms Snape when he tries to curse Harry in the back. In Harry Potter and the Spiritus Crystalus Harry shows a Pensieve memory of his fight with the basilisk. Jack: You've got brass ones the size of bowling balls, Harry! I know veterans that would've had the You've got brass ones the size of bowling balls, Harry! I know veterans that would've had the Hershey squirts seeing that snake!

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Film

Literature

Ernest Hemingway's 1932 book on bullfighting, Death in the Afternoon. "It takes more cojones," he wrote, "to be a sportsman where death is a closer party to the game."

The Dresden Files: "You can say what you like about Gentleman Johnny Marcone, but he has a set of brass balls that drag the ground when he walks." Harry is also accused of such in Dead Beat when Thomas blackmails the head of the White Court in his name. Dresden: So you're saying that I blackmailed the White Court . By proxy.

Thomas: Yeah. You've gotta have some great big brass balls to do something like that, Harry.

Special Agent D'Agustino on the USSS's Protection Detail is described this way in Tom Clancy's Ryanverse novels: if she did have them, 'they'd be heavy, brass ones'.

In Daniel Keys Moran's books The Long Run, The Last Dancer, and The Big Boost the Elite are a group of special soldiers who have been surgically altered to become cyborgs with subdural armor, laser weapons in their fingers, accelerated reaction time and great strength. Their enemies ironically call them Brass Balls.

After the protagonist of R.A. Salvatore's The Spearwielder's Tale pulls off an impressive bluff, his leprechaun buddy claims he has "a set to make a highland bull green with envy!"

Live-Action TV

Tabletop Games

Toys

The Living Dead Dolls "The Lost In Oz" collection includes the Wizard, who has the gifts for all of the characters. For Purdy (whose brain is exposed) as the Scarecrow, he has a brain, for Bride of Valentine (who carries a heart) as the Tin Man, he has said heart, and for Teddy as the Cowardly Lion, he has courage, which turns out to be a bag containing two brass spheres.

Video Games

Webcomics

Web Original

Cracked has a picture of a doll holding brass balls , at this article .

, at this article . In Danganronpa Abridged Thing, during Ishimaru's argument with Oowada, the following exchange occurs. Oowada: Man, you must have some big balls to try telling me what to do, bitch!

Ishimaru: Precisely! I have brass balls, forged in the line of duty as hall monitor!

Western Animation

Bait-and-Switch'd in Futurama, when Zapp Brannigan is talking about the Brain Balls, the rulers of Spheron I: Brannigan: They've got a lot of brains, and a lot of [pauses briefly, as if searching for the word; makes cupping gesture] chutzpah.

The pilot episode of Beast Wars features Dinobot challenging Optimus Primal for the leadership of the Maximals. Rhinox's response? Rhinox: This guy's got This guy's got bearings of chrome steel.

Real Life