[AT] old expressions

[Mike Sloane]

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

charlie hill wrote:
> Greg, that is "cold enough to freeze the balls off of a brass monkey"
> 
> A monkey was a tray that looked somewhat like a muffin tin that was used 
> to stack cannon balls on the deck of  sailing ships.  Once they got the 
> balls in the indentations on the monkey they could stack more balls on 
> top into a pyramid shaped pile.  Iron monkeys tended to rust so monkeys 
> were sometimes made of brass.  In cold weather the brass would shrink at 
> a different rate than the cannon balls so that it would "freeze" them 
> off the monkey.
> 
> Charlie

-- 
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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