In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried
iron cannons. Those cannon fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary
to keep a good supply near the cannon, but 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 thirty 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 called a, "Monkey," with sixteen round indentations. If this plate
was made of iron, the iron balls would quickly 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 cannon balls would roll
right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze
the balls off a brass monkey!" (And all this time, you have had dirty
thoughts, haven't you?) - - -
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