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Old Jun 22, 2006, 10:26 AM
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Sabrina Sabrina is offline
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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, 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 or rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations. 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 "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 cannonballs 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, I thought that was an improper expression, did you?)
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  #2  
Old Jun 22, 2006, 10:32 AM
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mrb020377 mrb020377 is offline
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i never knew that ! thanks for the history lesson
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  #3  
Old Jun 22, 2006, 11:52 AM
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SeptemberMorn SeptemberMorn is offline
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Well, now I know .... Well, now I know .... Well darn! And all this time I thought Jerry was being rude!! Well, now I know ....

Thanks for sharing that bit of information!
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  #4  
Old Jun 22, 2006, 01:03 PM
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Raynaadi Raynaadi is offline
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There's a Beastie Boyz song too, Brass Monkey...hmmm. Thanks!
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  #5  
Old Jun 22, 2006, 03:22 PM
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BooRadley BooRadley is offline
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you might want to check this out

http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/brass.htm
  #6  
Old Jun 22, 2006, 03:36 PM
Anonymous29319
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LOL
  #7  
Old Jun 22, 2006, 10:15 PM
Peanuts Peanuts is offline
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That's a funny story. Thanks for posting it. It brought a smile to my face.
  #8  
Old Jun 22, 2006, 10:40 PM
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(JD) (JD) is offline
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kewl!
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  #9  
Old Jun 23, 2006, 12:58 AM
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DavidStrong DavidStrong is offline
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And knowing is half the battle!
  #10  
Old Jun 23, 2006, 01:21 AM
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Sabrina Sabrina is offline
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Well, now I know ....
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Well, now I know ....

Crying isn't a sign of weakness. It's a sign of having tried too hard to be strong for too long.
  #11  
Old Jun 23, 2006, 10:14 AM
hillbunnyb hillbunnyb is offline
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I love this site..... who knew?
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  #12  
Old Jun 23, 2006, 11:38 AM
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Sabrina Sabrina is offline
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Well, now I know ....
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Well, now I know ....

Crying isn't a sign of weakness. It's a sign of having tried too hard to be strong for too long.
  #13  
Old Jun 23, 2006, 11:53 AM
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lenjan lenjan is offline
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I love that song! I need to pack some B-Boys for my roadtrip this weekend! Well, now I know ....
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