Jeff Wisnia wrote in
:


Were they referred to as "powder monkeys" on ships?

The American Heritage Dictionary says:

powder monkey

NOUN: Slang One who carries or sets explosives.


Yup, boys carrying powder where powdermonkeys,

The shot carriers where something else, don't know what. The larger shot
carriers where Bowsers, both the person and the rope sling they carried
the heavier shot (32-64lbs) in. According to one of the naval histories
I've got, a bowser went on to be anything that carried anything heavy, as
opposed to a lighter, a barge that carried the heavy stuff like water,
shot and powder..




A line remembered from my high school days...."Meet me in front of the
pawnshop Honey, and you can kiss me under the balls".

On a soberer note, The Medici families in Italy were moneylenders in
Europe. Lengend has it that one of the Medicis in the employ of
Emperor Charles the Great fought a giant and slew him with three sacks
of rocks. The three balls or globes later became part of their family
crest, and ultimately, the sign of pawnbroking.

Jeff


never knew that one, great thing about news groups