[AT] old expressions "Brass Monkey"
charlie hill
chill8 at cox.net
Thu Aug 3 06:45:39 PDT 2006
I agree George. That doesn't mean the story of freezing the balls off a
brass monkey is a bogus story. Maybe it never got that cold and it's just a
story made up by the seamen. However, the web site referenced in the thread
totally discounts the story. It's pretty hard to prove that no one ever
said something, isn't it?
Charlie
----- Original Message -----
From: "George Willer" <gwill at toast.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 9:09 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] old expressions "Brass Monkey"
> 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 =
>> > ;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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>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> AT mailing list
>> Remembering Our Friend Cecil Monson 11-4-2005
>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
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