Actually, the "proper" naval _expression_ is "cold enough to freeze the
balls off a brass monkey". The iron frame that Arnie mentions was actually
a brass ring that was called a brass monkey. It was made of brass so that
the cannon balls would not rust to it. It wouldn't actually break, but it
contracted to the point that the stack of cannon balls became unstable and
tumbled all over the deck. One of the things that sailors had to do on
occasion was to wire brush the rust and scale off of the cannon balls so that
they would fly true. Kind of like the rationale for ball washers on the
golf course.
You
guys can have all that cold weather...Anything north of I-10 is too cold
for me.
Royce
(CAPT, USNR-RET)
-----Original Message-----Nah, Michigan is seasonably warm today, low twenties!
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 10:14 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: ShopTalk: Cold!!!!!!!
At 45* you put the convertible top down. If you don't own a convertible you put on a bathing suit and wash the car in the driveway.
Reminds me of the old naval _expression_. When cannon balls were stacked in an iron frame (now done with golf balls at some ranges) on the deck severe cold weather caused the iron frame to contract and break causing the cannon balls to roll off the deck.
Thus came the _expression_: "It's cold enough to freeze your balls off".
