Brass Monkeys

"Deck of Cards"

Common entertainment included playing
cards. However, there was a tax levied when
purchasing playing cards but only applicable
to the "Ace of Spades."

To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase
51 cards instead. Yet, since most games
require 52 cards, these people were thought
to be stupid or dumb because they weren't
"playing with a full deck."

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"Brass Monkeys"

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.
However, how to prevent them from rolling about
he 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 form sliding or rolling from under the
others. The solution was a metal plate called a
"Monkey" with 16 round indentations. 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 realized 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
cannonballs 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?!)
Received on Thu Jan 26 18:21:20 2006