oumahexi
Free Range Witch
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- Joined
- Aug 10, 2006
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Is there another thread like this? When I started typing the title it "auto completed" but then I searched and couldn't find one. So, apologies if this is a duplicate. I love trivia like this:
Bet you didn't know this! In the heyday of sailing
ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those
cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a
good supply near to the cannon. However, how to prevent them from
rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a
square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting
on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls
could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was
only one problem...how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or
rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called
a 'Monkey' with 16 round inden tations. However, if this plate were
made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution
to the rusting problem was to make 'Brass Monkeys.' Few landlubbers
realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron
when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far,
the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannon
balls would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally,
'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.' (All this
time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.)
Bet you didn't know this! In the heyday of sailing
ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those
cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a
good supply near to the cannon. However, how to prevent them from
rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a
square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting
on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls
could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was
only one problem...how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or
rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called
a 'Monkey' with 16 round inden tations. However, if this plate were
made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution
to the rusting problem was to make 'Brass Monkeys.' Few landlubbers
realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron
when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far,
the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannon
balls would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally,
'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.' (All this
time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.)