Cannon Balls

[Jai Dee]

It was necessary to keep a good supply of cannon balls near the cannon on war ships. But how to prevent them from rolling about the deck was the problem. The best 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 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 with 16 round indentations, called a Monkey. But 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 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 a vulgar expression, didn't you?

[Shola]

It was necessary to keep a good supply of cannon balls near the cannon on war ships. But how to prevent them from rolling about the deck was the problem. The best 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 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 with 16 round indentations, called a Monkey. But 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 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 a vulgar expression, didn't you?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You've out done yourself this time JD, funny and educational!

[Abandon]

sut yort!

[Sir Burr]

Sorry to be the wet-blanket, but your expanation of the term is not true. Fromm www.snopes.com

Claim: "Brass monkeys" were small brass plates used to hold cannonballs on the decks of sailing ships.

Status: False.

Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2001]

Every sailing ship had to have cannon for protection. Cannon of the times required round iron cannonballs. The master wanted to store the cannon-balls such that they could be of instant use when needed, yet not roll around the gun deck. The solution was to stack them up in a square based pyramid next to the cannon. The top level of the stack had one ball, the next level down had four, the next had nine, the next had sixteen, and so on. Four levels would provide a stack of 30 cannonballs. The only real problem was how to keep the bottom level from sliding out from under the weight of the higher levels. To do this, they devised a small brass plate ("brass monkey") with one rounded indentation for each cannonball in the bottom layer. Brass was used because the cannonballs wouldn't rust to the"brass monkey", but would rust to an iron one.

When temperature falls, brass contracts in size faster than iron. As it got cold on the gun decks, the indentations in the brass monkey would get smaller than the iron cannonballs they were holding. If the temperature got cold enough, the bottom layer would pop out of the indentations spilling the entire pyramid over the deck. Thus it was, quite literally, "cold enough to freeze the balls off a "brass monkey."

Origins: Somebody's

fanciful imagination is at work cooking up spurious etymologies again. In short, this origin for the phrase "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey" is nonsense because:

Not even the venerable Oxford English Dictionary, records a usage of "brass monkey" like the one presented here.

When references to "brass monkeys" started appearing in print in the mid-19th century, they did not always mention balls or cold temperatures. It was sometimes cold enough to freeze the ears, tail, nose, or whiskers off a brass monkey. Likewise, it was sometimes hot enough to "scald the throat" or "singe the hair" of a brass monkey. These usages are inconsistent with the putative origins offered here.

Warships didn't store cannonballs (or "round shot") on deck around the clock, day after day, on the slight chance that they might go into battle. Space was a precious commodity on sailing ships, and decks were kept as clear as possible in order to allow room for hundreds of men to perform all the tasks necessary for ordinary ship's functions. (Stacking round shot on deck would also create the danger of their breaking free and rolling around loose on deck whenever the ship encountered rough seas.) Cannonballs were stored elsewhere and only brought out when the decks had been cleared for action.

Particularly diligent gunners (not "masters," who were in charge of navigation, sailing and pilotage, not ordnance) would have their crews chip away at imperfections on the surface of cannonballs to make them as smooth as possible, in the hopes that this would cause them fly truer. They did not leave shot on deck, exposed to the elements, where it would rust.

Nobody really knows where the phrase "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey" came from, but the explanation offered here certainly isn't the answer.

And from the US Naval History Centre:-

It has often been claimed that the "brass monkey" was a holder or storage rack in which cannon balls (or shot) were stacked on a ship. Supposedly when the "monkey" with its stack of cannon ball became cold, the contraction of iron cannon balls led to the balls falling through or off of the "monkey." This explanation appears to be a legend of the sea without historical justification. In actuality, ready service shot was kept on the gun or spar decks in shot racks (also known as shot garlands in the Royal Navy) which consisted of longitudinal wooden planks with holes bored into them, into which round shot (cannon balls) were inserted for ready use by the gun crew. These shot racks or garlands are discussed in: Longridge, C. Nepean. The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships. (Annapolis MD: Naval Institute Press, 1981):

[Shola]

Sorry to be the wet-blanket, but your expanation of the term is not true. Fromm www.snopes.com

Claim:  "Brass monkeys" were small brass plates used to hold cannonballs on the decks of sailing ships.

Status:  False.

Example:  [Collected on the Internet, 2001]

Every sailing ship had to have cannon for protection. Cannon of the times required round iron cannonballs. The master wanted to store the cannon-balls such that they could be of instant use when needed, yet not roll around the gun deck. The solution was to stack them up in a square based pyramid next to the cannon. The top level of the stack had one ball, the next level down had four, the next had nine, the next had sixteen, and so on. Four levels would provide a stack of 30 cannonballs. The only real problem was how to keep the bottom level from sliding out from under the weight of the higher levels. To do this, they devised a small brass plate ("brass monkey") with one rounded indentation for each cannonball in the bottom layer. Brass was used because the cannonballs wouldn't rust to the"brass monkey", but would rust to an iron one.

When temperature falls, brass contracts in size faster than iron. As it got cold on the gun decks, the indentations in the brass monkey would get smaller than the iron cannonballs they were holding. If the temperature got cold enough, the bottom layer would pop out of the indentations spilling the entire pyramid over the deck. Thus it was, quite literally, "cold enough to freeze the balls off a "brass monkey."

Origins:  Somebody's 

fanciful imagination is at work cooking up spurious etymologies again. In short, this origin for the phrase "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey" is nonsense because:

Not even the venerable Oxford English Dictionary, records a usage of "brass monkey" like the one presented here.

When references to "brass monkeys" started appearing in print in the mid-19th century, they did not always mention balls or cold temperatures. It was sometimes cold enough to freeze the ears, tail, nose, or whiskers off a brass monkey. Likewise, it was sometimes hot enough to "scald the throat" or "singe the hair" of a brass monkey. These usages are inconsistent with the putative origins offered here.

Warships didn't store cannonballs (or "round shot") on deck around the clock, day after day, on the slight chance that they might go into battle. Space was a precious commodity on sailing ships, and decks were kept as clear as possible in order to allow room for hundreds of men to perform all the tasks necessary for ordinary ship's functions. (Stacking round shot on deck would also create the danger of their breaking free and rolling around loose on deck whenever the ship encountered rough seas.) Cannonballs were stored elsewhere and only brought out when the decks had been cleared for action.

Particularly diligent gunners (not "masters," who were in charge of navigation, sailing and pilotage, not ordnance) would have their crews chip away at imperfections on the surface of cannonballs to make them as smooth as possible, in the hopes that this would cause them fly truer. They did not leave shot on deck, exposed to the elements, where it would rust.

Nobody really knows where the phrase "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey" came from, but the explanation offered here certainly isn't the answer.

And from the US Naval History Centre:-

It has often been claimed that the "brass monkey" was a holder or storage rack in which cannon balls (or shot) were stacked on a ship. Supposedly when the "monkey" with its stack of cannon ball became cold, the contraction of iron cannon balls led to the balls falling through or off of the "monkey." This explanation appears to be a legend of the sea without historical justification. In actuality, ready service shot was kept on the gun or spar decks in shot racks (also known as shot garlands in the Royal Navy) which consisted of longitudinal wooden planks with holes bored into them, into which round shot (cannon balls) were inserted for ready use by the gun crew. These shot racks or garlands are discussed in: Longridge, C. Nepean. The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships. (Annapolis MD: Naval Institute Press, 1981):

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Party Pooper!

[chuchok]

What about "cold enough to freeze the balls off a billard table"

And I supose the old one "little brass monkeys looking for their welders" is silly too....

[Sir Burr]

Shola- Mammary owning member! (I have a good support system)

Is this an over shoulder, boulder holder?

Sorry about being a party pooper, but when I saw you make the claim that the OP was educational, I just had to jump in.

[Jai Dee]

Shola- Mammary owning member! (I have a good support system)

Is this an over shoulder, boulder holder?

Sorry about being a party pooper, but when I saw you make the claim that the OP was educational, I just had to jump in.

Spoil sport.

[Shola]

Shola- Mammary owning member! (I have a good support system)

Is this an over shoulder, boulder holder?

Sorry about being a party pooper, but when I saw you make the claim that the OP was educational, I just had to jump in.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Indeed!

You burst my educational bubble!

(I spose thats an occupational hazard, carrying that lance and everything )

[Sir Burr]

(I spose thats an occupational hazard, carrying that lance and everything )

Yes, I can be a pr1ck at times (hangs head in shame).

[Shola]

(I spose thats an occupational hazard, carrying that lance and everything )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, I can be a pr1ck at times (hangs head in shame).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Gazza]

Who gives a doodly as to what or where the expression came from?

I only wanna know if the weather is cold enough to freeze MY balls off. Never mind brass mokeys.

[phazey]

Shola- Mammary owning member! (I have a good support system)

Is this an over shoulder, boulder holder?

Sorry about being a party pooper, but when I saw you make the claim that the OP was educational, I just had to jump in.

upper decker flopper stopper ?

[phuketsiam]

Shola- Mammary owning member! (I have a good support system)

Is this an over shoulder, boulder holder?

Sorry about being a party pooper, but when I saw you make the claim that the OP was educational, I just had to jump in.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

sir burr (great handle btw) shouldn't your signature be

Hugh Pugh -etc - or does my memory fail me

[Sir Burr]

Shola- Mammary owning member! (I have a good support system)

Is this an over shoulder, boulder holder?

Sorry about being a party pooper, but when I saw you make the claim that the OP was educational, I just had to jump in.

sir burr (great handle btw) shouldn't your signature be

Hugh Pugh -etc - or does my memory fail me

Phuketsiam

Thanks regarding the handle. Seems a lot of people don't get the joke; think I'm some sort of knight (which I also play up to with the avatar). I'm sure, like me that you appreciate the irony of it.

With regards to Hugh, Pugh and Pugh, Pugh, I never thought that this would cause

so much controversy. I have had quite a few PM's telling me it's one or the other.

The definitive answer is Pugh, Pugh as they were twins. Did not know there were so many Trumpton fans out there!

[phuketsiam]

i'll take your word for it, trumpton and candlewick green, worth running all the way home from school for

[Abandon]

i'll take your word for it, trumpton and candlewick green, worth running all the way home from school for

It was camberwick green by the way...

[Kan Win]

Who gives a doodly as to what or where the expression came from?

I only wanna know if the weather is cold enough to freeze MY balls off. Never mind brass mokeys.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

NO

Cooling down.

Hot season is coming.

Jai Dee, BTW, nice one.

Now Thailand related

Photo taken in Lopburi

Yours as always

Kan Win

Edited March 21, 2005 by Kan Win