Ever heard the phrase "It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey"?

Ever wonder WTF it means?

Remember "Pirates of the Caribbean"?  Ever wonder how those old wooden, masted, ships ever sailed on a wavy, rolling sea without the canon balls rolling all over the place?  They used something called a "monkey".  Don't ask me why they picked that name, I don't know.  It's simply an iron plate with divots in it that the iron canon balls would sit in, figures 1, 2, and 3.

Now, being at sea and surrounded by salty moisture, iron tends to oxidize, right?  Right.  Imagine trying to get those last few cannon balls off the bottom layer of the monkey after a few months at sea.  Not happenin'.

Brass doesn't oxidize, so to remedy this maladay they created a brass overlay for the monkey, a "brass monkey". Figures 4 and 5.  Unfortunately though, brass shrinks at a higher temperature than iron, so when the nights got cold enough the brass would contract and the balls would roll right off.  

Hence, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey".  

True?  Not sure.

Funny?  As hell.

PS - "Brass Monkey" is also a tasty little rum, peach schnapps, and orange juice concotion that I'm rather fond of.

Did you look that crap up or did you discover it in a dream.

WOW a fact i actually already knew! that doesnt happen often.

  You should get extra points then!

Dad told me that story, Tomb.  He's old and a wealth of thoroughly useless knowledge.

edit - ROFL @ "Master Thread Killer".  Tee hee!

http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOrigins.htmhttp://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOrigins.htm

Knock on wood
 
 
Meaning:    If good luck is willing.
Example:    I am sure that your tax returns will not be audited, knock on wood.
Origin:    One theory is that it originated in the middle ages when there were in circulation, pieces of the Holy Rood or Cross on which Jesus was crucified.  To touch one of these was supposed to bring good luck hence touch wood for good luck.  There were also several Holy Foreskins around at the time ..but that was a different story!

Thanks to Zebulun

Alternatively,

The Druids, who worshipped trees, especially Oaks, wore a piece of Oak around their neck to ward off evil spirits. Hence touch wood for good luck.

Thanks to Cynthia Blackledge

Alternatively,

You knock on wood because of those wily Wood Sprites.  In medieval times, people believed in mischievous creatures known as sprites. Sprites are actually spirits or ghosts who were reputed to enjoy causing trouble and wreaking havoc in the lives of the living.  Among the most mischievous were wood sprites.

If you were to mention something good, the wood sprites would try to foul it up.  The thought was that if you knocked on the wood when you said these things, the wood sprites would not be able to hear you because of the knocking sound. Hence they would leave you alone.

Thanks to Coach Alan and Fluke