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Date Posted: 13:53:35 01/27/06 Fri
Author: Texas_Cheryl
Subject: "Brass Monkeys" for Monkeyville
In reply to: Texas_Cheryl 's message, ""Brass Monkeys"" on 13:51:53 01/27/06 Fri

In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and
many freighters carried iron cannons. Those
cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was
necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon.
However, how to prevent them from rolling about
he deck?

The best storage method devised was a square-
based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on
four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen.
Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked
in a small area right next to the cannon.

There was only one problem...how to prevent the
bottom layer form sliding or rolling from under the
others. The solution was a metal plate called a
"Monkey" with 16 round indentations. However, if
this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would
quickly rust to it.

The solution to the rusting problem was to make
"Brass Monkeys." Few landlubbers realized that
brass contracts much more and much faster
than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the
temperature dropped too far, the brass
indentations would shrink so much that the iron
cannonballs would come right off the monkey.

Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze
the balls off a brass monkey." (All this time you
thought that was an improper expression, didn't
you?!)

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Replies:

[> [> LOL -- Chesneygirl73, 14:03:37 01/27/06 Fri [1]

Talk about blue balls!


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[> [> Having been a JAG fan for 10 long years, I learned about this phrase a long time ago. Let's just hope nothing of Keith's is made of brass, as we don't want to have to worry about shrinkage! LOL -- Feathers (now if someone will please explain the phrase "colder than a witch's titty"...), 15:24:10 01/27/06 Fri [1]


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[> [> [> Colder than a well diggers a hole? -- Chesneygirl73, 15:57:16 01/27/06 Fri [1]

Anybody?


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[> [> [> [> Colder than . . . -- Mo, 05:24:30 01/28/06 Sat [1]

Colder than the reception for Angelina Jolie at the "Rachel Club."

Colder than Hell after the Eagles' last tour.

Colder than the trail to Howard Stern's brain. He stopped using it years ago.


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[> [> Colder than a tax collector's heart -- Mo, 05:07:42 01/28/06 Sat [1]


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