[Rhodes22-list] Fw: Cannon Balls

[Todd Tavares]

     Pure fiction....the saying is "...cold enough to freeze the tail off a brass monkey.." 
 

Todd

----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Alm <salm@mn.rr.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 02:59:22 -0500
To: <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Fw: Cannon  Balls


> Where I hang out, a Brass Monkey is a cock...(hic)...tail.
> Slim  ;-)
> 
> On 9/25/02 12:30 PM, "lcrowther" <lcrowther@cox.net> wrote:
> 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Cannon Balls
> > 
> > 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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