Did you know ??
 

Where some of those of your favourite expressions come from ??

For instance, Its cold enough to freeze the balls off on a brass monkey


It was necessary to keep a good supply of cannon balls near the cannon on old war ships. But how to prevent them from rolling about the deck?
The 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, for reasons unknown, a Monkey. But if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make them of brass - hence, 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.
:thumb:

That is so old!!

You learn something new everyday:thumb:

Is that an expression ???


Now Troutface, that's better :thumb:

Or a face like a slapped fish :D

I like the one about peasnts laying straw, or "thresh" onto floors for cleanliness and insulation. To stop it being kicked/slid all over, they placed a wooden batten across the floor at the door, the "thresh-hold".

This Expression was bought about circa. 1930, when one shocked, catholic schoolgirl first saw P.S Lewis :)

You've gone and made me laugh now!

Les :D