[AT] old expressions "Brass Monkey"

George Willer gwill at toast.net
Thu Aug 3 06:09:45 PDT 2006


Charlie,

The brass monkey thing is an example of a plausible exaggeration... much
like "colder than a witches tit".  Nobody really knows how cold one might
be, but imagination can fill in the blanks.

George Willer

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "charlie hill" <chill8 at cox.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 8:45 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] old expressions "Brass Monkey"


> Thanks Bruce,
>
> So now we have established that there were brass devices for stacking
cannon
> balls and someone calls them "monkeys".  We know that brass and iron have
> different expansion rates.  Maybe not enough to make the balls roll off
> sitting flat but we are talking about conditions at sea.
>
> If no one minds I'll keep to the British Navy version of the story unless
> someone can prove to me that it NEVER happened notwithstanding some Johnny
> come lately Internet site that claims to know everything about everything.
>
> Charlie
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <ROBBRUT at aol.com>
> To: <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 6:19 PM
> Subject: Re: [AT] old expressions "Brass Monkey"
>
>
> >I was in England 7 years ago, helping the RAF's maintenance provider
> >(DARA).
> > One of the folks I worked closely with had a long-time friend who was
the
> > Naval officer responsible for Admiral Lord Nelson's flagship HMS
Victory,
> > It is the oldest  commissioned  warship in the world, and is still
manned
> > by
> > Officers and sailors of the Royal Navy. HMS Victory is the only
surviving
> > warship that fought in the American Revolution, the French Revolution,
and
> > the
> > Napoleonic Wars and is now the flagship of "the Second sea Lord and
> > Commander in
> > Chief Naval Home Command".
> > Since I was nearby, and it has a permanent berth (no. 2 Dry Dock at
> > Portsmouth Naval Base in Hampshire UK) my friend pulled some strings to
> > get he and I an
> > after hours guided tour.
> > During that tour, we were shown the brass monkeys, and the tale of
> > freezing
> > the balls off during extreme cold was told to us by our very official
and
> > practiced guide.
> > Although I was aware of conflicting data, I did not insult the very
> > dedicated
> > and distinguished gentleman who so graciously showed us both the
> > extraordinarily harsh working conditions and also the remarkable
> > technology of the era.
> >
> > -Bruce Thompson
> >
> > -------------------------------1154557161
> > Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
> > Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
> >
> > <HTML><HEAD>
> > <META charset=3DUS-ASCII http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html;
> > cha=
> > rset=3DUS-ASCII">
> > <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1528" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
> > <BODY style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR:
> > #ffffff=
> > ">
> > <DIV><FONT size=3D2>I was in England 7 years ago, helping the RAF's
> > maintena=
> > nce provider (DARA).</FONT></DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT size=3D2>One of the folks I worked closely with had a
long-time
> > f=
> > riend who was the Naval officer responsible for Admiral Lord
Nelson's
> > f=
> > lagship HMS Victory,</FONT></DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT size=3D2>It is the oldest  commissioned 
> > wars=
> > hip in the world, and is still manned by Officers and sailors of the
Royal
> > N=
> > avy. HMS <SPAN class=3Ddesc><FONT size=3D3><FONT size=3D2>Victory is the
> > onl=
> > y surviving warship that fought in the American Revolution, the
> > French=20=
> > Revolution, and the Napoleonic Wars and is</FONT> </FONT></SPAN>now
> > the=
> > flagship of "the Second sea Lord and Commander in Chief Naval Home
> > Command"=
> > .</FONT></DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Since I was nearby, and it has a permanent
> > ber=
> > th (no. 2 Dry Dock at Portsmouth Naval Base in Hampshire UK) my friend
> > pulle=
> > d some strings to get he and I an after hours guided tour.</FONT></DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT size=3D2>During that tour, we were shown the brass monkeys,
and
> > t=
> > he tale of freezing the balls off during extreme cold was told to us
> > by&nbsp=
> > ;our very official and practiced guide.</FONT></DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Although I was aware of conflicting data, I did not
> > insu=
> > lt the very dedicated and distinguished gentleman who so graciously
> > sho=
> > wed us both the extraordinarily harsh working conditions and also the
> > remark=
> > able technology of the era.</FONT></DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT size=3D2>-Bruce Thompson</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
> > _______________________________________________
> > AT mailing list
> > Remembering Our Friend Cecil Monson 11-4-2005
> > http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
> >
> >
> > -- 
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>
> _______________________________________________
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> Remembering Our Friend Cecil Monson 11-4-2005
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
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