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Post by OT on Sept 22, 2002 18:39:04 GMT -5
In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons.
Those cannon fired round iron cannon balls.
It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. But how to prevent them from rolling about the 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 from sliding/rolling from under the others.
The solution was a metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations. But if this plate was made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass Monkeys".
Few landlubbers realize 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 cannon balls would come right off the monkey.
Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey!" (And all this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you?)
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Post by Cine_Man on Sept 22, 2002 22:34:19 GMT -5
I have also heard the expression linked to the balls on a pawn-broker's sign.
The other old expression that I like is "the whole nine yards".
It alludes to the dimension of the ammunition belts in World War II fighter aircraft, which were 27 feet long... so if you fired the entire clip, you gave your target "the whole nine yards".
Any other otherwise inexplicable or arcane expressions?
Cine_...
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Post by Topcontender on Sept 23, 2002 0:13:56 GMT -5
Hell the whole time i thought Brass Monkey was some drink the Beastie Boys liked to have. ;D
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Post by Wycco on Sept 23, 2002 7:46:32 GMT -5
Intresting! Thanks OT!
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Post by greg99 on Sept 23, 2002 8:49:56 GMT -5
Yes fascinating indeed - thanks again OT and Cine!
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