preps
Results 1 to 3 of 3

Thread: cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    RICHMOND VA.
    Posts
    715
    Thanks
    402
    Thanked 251 Times in 167 Posts
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey

    It was necessary to keep a good supply of cannon balls near the cannon on old war ships. But how to prevent them from rolling about the deck was the problem. The 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 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 with 16 round indentations, called, for reasons unknown, a Monkey. But if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make them of brass -hence,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, folks thought that was just a vulgar expression? You must send this fabulous bit of historical knowledge to at least a few of your intellectual friends.





  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Republic of Texas
    Posts
    865
    Thanks
    127
    Thanked 536 Times in 341 Posts
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    Learn something new everyday!


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    galveston
    Posts
    33
    Thanks
    7
    Thanked 14 Times in 12 Posts
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    lol... ummm being that I work on water building islands.... I knew of this already.... But still can't help but think of BB when I hear Brass Monkey....

Visitors found this page by searching for

freeze the balls off a brass monkey

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •