Brass Monkey

[Graydog]

Interesting e-mail running around the net as to what freezing the balls off a brass monkey really means. Anybody have any info to back this up or dash it?

-Greydog

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CANNON BALLS!!! DID YOU KNOW THIS?

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 the problem. The 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 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 indentations, called, for reasons unknown, a Monkey. But if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make them of brass - hence, 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, folks thought that was just a vulgar expression?

[Wayland]

I've heard this explanation before but have not been able to track down any historical references to verify it.

W.H.Smyth has various definitions and uses for the word "Monkey" and it's derivatives, but none of them seem to connect to this story.

There is an interesting article here.

[Graydog]

I've heard this explanation before but have not been able to track down any historical references to verify it.

W.H.Smyth has various definitions and uses for the word "Monkey" and it's derivatives, but none of them seem to connect to this story.

There is an interesting article here.

Great link! Thanks.

Say, I found a link to this question at the US Naval Historical Center, which also supports the same answer, i.e. it is bogus.

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq107.htm

Thanks again.

Edited January 10, 2010 by Graydog

[Quartermaster James]

It's total BS.

Snopes

[capn'rob]

Hence, the difference between a "Sea Story" and a "Fairy Tale". The Fairy Tale begins, "Once upon a time...." and the Sea Story begins "Now you're not going to believe this .........!"

Also, I don't know about Brass Monkeys but, It was so cold here today I saw a Politician with his hands in his own pockets!!

Edited January 10, 2010 by capn'rob

[capn'rob]

So cold I saw a chicken with a capon!

[HarborMaster]

My brass monkey for hanging in the bar.

Edited January 10, 2010 by HarborMaster