| Ya want Trivia?
>
> Historical Naval Knowledge
>
> It was necessary to keep a good supply of canon balls near the cannon on
> 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?
And now ya know why brass monkeys are neutered. cheers Tom
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