[Rhodes22-list] Betcha didn't know this!

[FredkLange at aol.com]

So why did they call it a monkey?

Fred

In a message dated 3/4/04 9:02:22 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
rjquinn at bellsouth.net writes:

> Betcha 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 the cannon, but they had to find a way 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 indentations. 
> But, if this plate was made of iron, the iron balls quickly would 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". (And all this time, you thought that was an improper expression, 
> didn't you?) You must send this fabulous bit of historical knowledge to 
> unsuspecting friends. If you don't, your floppy is going to fall off your hard drive 
> and kill your mouse.
> 
> SO THERE!!!!
> 
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