It would freeze the B#@ãs of a Brass monkey.
Sent from my ALE-L21
Sent from my ALE-L21
Old Sayings
- Thread starter Gerryjo
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...the balls being cannon balls sat in a brass holder on deck called a monkey. ..when it froze the brass contracted and the balls rolled off...I think!
Cheers
Clint
Cheers
Clint
That is one theory.Check this out for size.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/cold-enough-to-freeze-the-balls-off-a-brass-monkey.html
'Beer and skittles'
which is shorthand for a life of indulgence spent in the pub.:whistle:
which is shorthand for a life of indulgence spent in the pub.:whistle:
"Yes!" and "No!" to this and the next one in the series.
In the good old days (before they fitted cranes to cargo ships) they used two derricks to load and unload cargo.
One derrick was positioned over the hold and lifted stuff up and down, in and out of the hold.
The second derrick was swung out over the quay and was used to lift stuff up and down, on and off the quay.
It took the concerted effort of three men (a Winchman on each derrick winch and a Derrickman organising the up, down and traversing movement of the hook attached to the winch wires.
Here's where it becomes relevant to a "Brass Monkey".
A triangular steel plate was fitted to the rig used with the two derricks. The wires from the two derricks were shackled to the two holes in the top of the plate and the cargo-hook was shackled to the bottom of the triangular plate.
The triangular plate itself is called a "Monkey Plate" because (if you were drunk enough to see the likeness) the three holes looked like the two eyes and mouth of a startled monkey.
So, back to a definitive explanation:
1. At sea (and onshore in military and/or marine environments) triangular plates are called "Monkey Plates".
2. Using non-sparking brass seems feasible when using iron balls in the presence of gunpowder.
3. Piling cannon balls on a triangular brass plate is an effective way of storing them.
4. I was always taught that the phrase was "Cold enough to freeze the balls TO a brass monkey!" and as the conductivity of brass is much higher than iron any moisture will freeze the iron to the brass and make the lower cannonballs unusable.
5. Brass monkeys were most likely used on the coastal shore batteries that surrounded Britain and their use was therefore NOT confined to ships. (If indeed they were ever used on ships; which is doubtful!)
So, in synopsis, it can be ...
"Cold enough to freeze the balls TO a brass monkey!"
and
cannon balls were stored on "brass monkeys" but probably not on ships.
:thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
cannon balls were stored on "brass monkeys" but probably not on ships.
:thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
http://www.leaustralia.com.au/marit...s/triangle-plate-delta-plate-or-monkey-plate/
Thanks Dutto. ..best dig out the knitted trollies.....
Isabel?
Sent from my ALE-L21
Sent from my ALE-L21
I just can't get over the arrogance of this particular website!
At the bottom of the page it has the link ...
"See other phrases that were coined in the USA."
In the case under discussion the phrase was certainly misquoted in the USA but it is equally certain that it was never "coined in the USA" if only because iron cannon balls were already in regular use in Europe by 1620 when the Pilgrim Fathers sailed from Plymouth.
At the Castle i work at,the Cannon ball holders are known as brass monkeys by the visitors services team
I used to be a contract manager and one thing I was one of the best at was identifying where text could be read in different ways. I even argued with ã1m earning corporate lawyers about whether there was a risk there and on normally got proved right, even to the point where they ended up not arguing with me due to my track record. The line at the bottom, though poorly written, could be intended to mean see other phrases using this link and this link is to phrases which were coined in the USA.
A more important use of this approach is when reading what you think might be an angry email, letter, text, etc. Is it really angry or are you misinterpreting it? I had this once where i had sent a perfectly innocent email to someone who read it as angry and complained to my senior manager. He would not accept my word it was not angry until the other person copied on it stepped in and read it in a happy way and an angry way and proved it sounded like it could be intended to be either.
I guess the saying to sum this up is "Dont jump the gun"
It could be taken as controversial but as @Ale say don't jump the gun ðŸâÂ
I'll go to the foot of our stairs (An exclamation of surprise)
.
.
Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me...
Sent from my ALE-L21
Sent from my ALE-L21
The phrase they use is "See OTHER phrases that were coined in the USA." and the use of the word "other" intimates that THIS phrase was coined in the USA ...
... and that is extremely doubtful.
PS
Not in the least bit angry. Just happy to point out that the world doesn't start and end with the USA! :thumb:
Have your guts for garters
Meaning you are in deep trouble
Meaning you are in deep trouble
Tau
Landlord.
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Wonder if they ever did use such for garters. Used cat guts for stringing tennis rackets, you never know :!:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/guts-for-garters.html
geetee
Landlord.
It could be that somewhere in the grand old US of A some serial killer has actually used guts for garters. After all the inspiration for the film* Psycho was an American serial killer called Edward Gein who made lampshades out of human skin.
*You can tell how old people are if they still refer to films rather than movies.
BEAT AROUND THE BUSH
Game birds were scared out of their hiding places under bushes and then killed.
Game birds were scared out of their hiding places under bushes and then killed.
geetee
Landlord.
I knew an old guy in the pub I worked in during the 80s, a local to Newcastle ex navy and fond of a bit of rhyming slang.
My favourite of his expressions was "me bacon and eggs is eggs and bacon" which obviously meant his legs were aching!
My favourite of his expressions was "me bacon and eggs is eggs and bacon" which obviously meant his legs were aching!
