howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#1
a former merchant seaman told me the reason for the terminology recently.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_monkey_(colloquial_expression)Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#2
i got told it was a brass canonball holder on royal navy ships,[nelsons days].
Guest 767- Registered: 30 Aug 2012
- Posts: 458
#3
A monkey is a brass frame that held a number of iron round shot. These were kept close to the guns for 'ready use'. In cold weather the brass frame would freeze and so contract faster then the iron shot, which would then fall off - so freezing the balls off a brass monkey!
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
#4
Yes, Phil, that is what I have been told, and it fits with the allusion to cold. An Aunt of mine had a three brass monkey statuette group:hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil. This confused me no end when I was young.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.