Interesting, yet uselss information...
steveinaz
Posts: 19,536
CANNON BALLS!!! DID YOU KNOW THIS?
I CERTAINLY DIDN'T KNOW!!!
It was necessary to keep a good supply of cannon balls near the cannon on old war ships. But how to prevent them from rolling about the deck was a major problem. The best storage method devised was to stack them as 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/rolling from under the others.
The solution was a metal plate with 16 round dimples, called, for reasons unknown, a "Monkey." But if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls quickly rusted to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make the plates of brass - hence, Brass Monkeys.
Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and contracts more rapidly 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."
I CERTAINLY DIDN'T KNOW!!!
It was necessary to keep a good supply of cannon balls near the cannon on old war ships. But how to prevent them from rolling about the deck was a major problem. The best storage method devised was to stack them as 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/rolling from under the others.
The solution was a metal plate with 16 round dimples, called, for reasons unknown, a "Monkey." But if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls quickly rusted to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make the plates of brass - hence, Brass Monkeys.
Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and contracts more rapidly 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."
Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
Post edited by steveinaz on
Comments
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Urban legend.Gallo Ref 3.1 : Bryston 4b SST : Musical fidelity CD Pre : VPI HW-19
Gallo Ref AV, Frankengallo Ref 3, LC60i : Bryston 9b SST : Meridian 565
Jordan JX92s : MF X-T100 : Xray v8
Backburner:Krell KAV-300i -
Slow day at the office I guess.
Interesting, but UNC is right, Urban legend!
http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/brass.aspFor rig details, see my profile. Nothing here anymore... -
Huh. Look at that, Snopes used the OED, too. I've got one & "Monkey" as used above wasn't in it. It's sad, but I have yet to use my OED apart to settle bar bets.
Incidentally, but in this case true:
The OED credits the Beastie Boys for coining the term "Mullet" to mean the haircut.Gallo Ref 3.1 : Bryston 4b SST : Musical fidelity CD Pre : VPI HW-19
Gallo Ref AV, Frankengallo Ref 3, LC60i : Bryston 9b SST : Meridian 565
Jordan JX92s : MF X-T100 : Xray v8
Backburner:Krell KAV-300i -
...I said "...yet useless information" didn't I?Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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I'm waiting on the 'great balls of fire' history lesson
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You won't have to wait long.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Via Wiki on "Great Balls of Fire":
"The song title is derived from a Southern expression, which some Christians consider blasphemous, that refers to the Pentecost's defining moment when the Holy Spirit manifested itself as "cloven tongues as of fire" and the Apostles spoke in tongues. In the 1939 movie Gone with the Wind, Scarlett O'Hara (played by Vivien Leigh) frequently exclaims, "Great balls of fire!"" -
candyliquor35m wrote: »I'm waiting on the 'great balls of fire' history lesson
Oh, I know this one --
During the Salem witch hunts, there was a cross dressing witch named Winona. No one knew "she" was actually a "he" until they started the fire. Soon enough, the fire caught onto the dress and it quickly revealed that "she" was a "he" when the huge, dangling gonads revealed themsleves to the audience. That's when someone yelled, "Great balls of fire!" And to this day, this phrase is used to denote a shocking revelation.HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50 LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub
"God grooves with tubes." -
unc2701 wrote:Urban legend.
Not an URBAN legend...but apparently a nautical one with questionable facts.
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq107.htm"Just because youre offended doesnt mean youre right." - Ricky Gervais
"For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase
"Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson -
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhh!
Prepare to be boarded laddie! -
R-mail those scurvy lubbers...prepare to Repel boarders!
