[AT] old expressions

[Larry D. Goss]

Right, Mike.  There's even a word for the situation -- FOAF.  That
stands for "friend of a friend" which is one of the hallmarks of urban
legends.

Larry

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Mike Sloane
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 9:40 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] old expressions

Oh, I wasn't criticizing you, Charlie. What I meant to point out was 
that a lot of stuff that goes around the Internet gets taken for utter 
truth when it just started out as a rumor or myth. Like the fact that 
you have to use only non-detergent single weight oil in old tractors or 
that putting glycol antifreeze in an old cooling system will make it 
leak or that the only fluid you can use in an IH hydraulic system is 
Hy-Tran, or that Champion plugs are no good and use only AC plugs (or 
the other way around).

I get at least one message a day with some "urban myth" that comes with 
the header saying something like "this is true - I heard it from a 
friend who says it was verified by his brother-in-law's buddy's wife's 
hairdresser's uncle". The one about the brass monkey's balls was part of

a full page of similar stuff that went around the Internet a few years 
back, and every one of the "true histories" of the sayings was just pure

imagination on the part of the author. I suspect he/she sent it out just

to see what would happen and how many people would just accept them 
without question. And the same page of items keeps coming around every 
so often. In cases like that, a healthy dose of skepticism is in order.

Mike

charlie hill wrote:
> Hi Mike,
> 
> First off I never said it had anything to do with the US Navy.  I
always 
> assumed the story came from pre-revolution ships of the British and 
> Spanish Naval forces and possibly a few pirate ships that sailed the  
> seas near my home.  However, with that said I will defer the "experts"

> on your web site and accept it as a good story with no proven basis
in 
> fact.  Neither one of us will ever know for a fact which is true now 
> will we?
> 
> Charlie
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Sloane"
<mikesloane at verizon.net>
> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"
<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 8:45 AM
> Subject: Re: [AT] old expressions
> 
> 
>> Sorry, Charlie, but that story simply is another myth that has been 
>> passed around the Internet and no basis in fact. See: 
>> <http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/b/brassmonkeys.htm>
>>
>> Like most of the expressions we have been trading back and forth, it 
>> is just something that sounds vaguely funny and makes otherwise
boring 
>> conversations more interesting.
>>
>> Mike
>>

-- 
Mike Sloane
Allamuchy NJ
<mikesloane at verizon.net>
Website: <www.geocities.com/mikesloane>
Images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>

We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty.
When the loyal opposition dies,
I think the soul of America dies with it.
Edward R. Murrow


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