Re: How to freeze the balls off a brass monkey


"Walter Harley" <walterh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:DtOdndv_c9DFrRveRVn-uw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> "martin griffith" <martingriffith@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:fc7co19c6q1sgv3jpb80otlku1rnf0sanp@xxxxxxxxxx
>> Britain is facing a cold spell, and possible gas shortages so "freeze
>> the balls off a brass monkey" is a commonly used phrase.
>>
>> Apparently this is where the phrase originated
>> http://www2.gol.com/users/coynerhm/cold_enough_to_freeze_the_balls_.htm
>>
>
>
> Nice story, but BS. http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/brass.htm
> points out some of the many flaws. One more flaw they don't mention:
> where did all those "brass monkeys" go? How come you can't find any
> pictures of 'em, and they don't turn up in antique stores?
>
> Sorry!
Yes. People in the 'know', reckon that the story is fiction.
However there was a 'brass monkey' on ships. The monkey, was a particular
type of cannon, and some were brass, so there may be an origin there. The
earliest records, actually have the phrase as 'freeze the tail off a brass
monkey', rather than the balls, making the 'source' even more unlikely to
be this.
Actually, storage plates for cannon balls do exist, but they are rare, and
rather like a pastry tray, rather than the collar design visualised for
the 'brass monkey' story. These were used on some land forts, where a
small supply of balls could be placed under cover, without having them
rolling away. These do turn up in antique stores.
I is a nice story though. :-)

Best Wishes


.

Relevant Pages