[AT] old expressions "Brass Monkey"
pga2 at hot1.net
pga2 at hot1.net
Thu Aug 3 10:30:06 PDT 2006
I used to work for an ex-Navy man. He would refer to things like this as
"sea stories". I asked and he told me "A sea story is any story that
begins 'Now this is no s*%t'. ".
Phil
> 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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>> AT mailing list
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>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
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>>
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