close
    Why do we say, "It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey"?

    Hint:  This phrase started in earlier wars.

    0  Views: 479 Answers: 2 Posted: 14 years ago

    2 Answers

    " The phrase originated from the use of a tray referred to as a "monkey" to carry cannonballs on 16th to 18th century war ships to the cannons, when the temperature got to cold the tray would contract causing the balls to fall off."

    Chiangmai

    Just want to add that early warships fired iron cannonballs from a stack piled beside the cannon. To keep them in place, they used a square piece of rust-proof brass with indentations ("monkey")to secure the bottom layer of the balls.

    Peoplelover,knows this one.



    Top contributors in Trivia category

     
    ROMOS
    Answers: 38 / Questions: 0
    Karma: 2550
     
    jhharlan
    Answers: 34 / Questions: 0
    Karma: 2535
     
    Benthere
    Answers: 7 / Questions: 0
    Karma: 2520
     
    daren1
    Answers: 44 / Questions: 0
    Karma: 2140
    > Top contributors chart

    Unanswered Questions

    linknew88love
    Answers: 0 Views: 10 Rating: 0
    63citcom
    Answers: 0 Views: 15 Rating: 0
    QS88
    Answers: 0 Views: 16 Rating: 0
    What Search Engines Actually Work on Tor?
    Answers: 0 Views: 16 Rating: 0
    Giải Mã Kèo
    Answers: 0 Views: 16 Rating: 0
    free credit bolaking888
    Answers: 0 Views: 15 Rating: 0
    kuwinnliving3
    Answers: 0 Views: 16 Rating: 0
    > More questions...
    551790
    questions
    778701
    answers
    911143
    users