Did you know this???
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Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,624
Likes: 8
From: Missouri
Did you know this???
In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters
carried iron cannons.
Those cannon fired round iron cannon *****.
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 to stack them as 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 ***** 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 with 16
round indentations, called a Monkey. But if this plate was made of iron, the
iron ***** 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 ***** would
come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally, Cold enough to freeze
the ***** off a brass monkey!
And all this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you?
carried iron cannons.
Those cannon fired round iron cannon *****.
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 to stack them as 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 ***** 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 with 16
round indentations, called a Monkey. But if this plate was made of iron, the
iron ***** 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 ***** would
come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally, Cold enough to freeze
the ***** off a brass monkey!
And all this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you?
New User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 0
Likes: 24
Did you know this???
I posted this last fall, and it took all of 30 minutes for people to strike me down.
It is known as an Urban Legend or Myth
Check it out.
http://www.urbanlegends.com/
It is known as an Urban Legend or Myth
Check it out.
http://www.urbanlegends.com/
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
Did you know this???
http://www.tafkac.org/language/etymo...ss_monkey.html
I did a search, and it seems that this confirms the original story.
I did a search, and it seems that this confirms the original story.
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