Bruce Barnett wrote:

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" writes:


"Bruce Barnett" wrote in message
. ..

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" writes:


I only said that's the story according to black powder historians.

And their names are.....?

HINT: The earliest known reference to "brass monkey" was in 1857, and
it had nothing to do with cannons. The phrase was "freeze the tail of
a brass monkey."

p.s. Mark gave you references to look at, which you ignored.


No I didn't. I even concurred with him in another post. Don't accuse me of
being casual about your opinions unless you at least pay attention.


Let's go though this, since you claim I wasn't paying attention..

Mark said

Lloyd needs to read these references:

http://www.worldwidewords.org/ qa/qa-bra1.htm
http://www.snopes.com/language /stories/brass.htm


You said

[snip] it has a quite definite etymology, but a rather exotic one.


Mark said:


Go on, then. Prove it.


You said:

From the rather small niche of black powder historians, the story comes this

way:


[snip]

On board most armed ships of the British fleet were triangular brass racks -
low bars of brass forged into an equilateral triangle - mounted to the
decks, into which to stack cannon balls in the familiar pyramid fashion.
This, to ready the balls for quick access.


Although the "brass monkeys" were only an inch or two high, the stacks made
within them were quite stable -- until the temperature dropped very, very
cold. At that point, due to different coefficients of expansion between
brass and iron, the balls came tumbling off their racks.


Mark replied:


I said *prove* it. I have already posted cites refuting this answer.



To summarize, Mark posted some specific references that clearly give
evidence that your etymology is not "definite" but an urban
legend. You read them, (as you just claimed) yet you persisted in
stating that there is a definite etymology that disagrees with those
references.

And when challenged, you refer to some "black powder historians" that
have no names, and no document, and no web site to back up those facts.

When did I not pay attention? Please correct me....


I'm really beginning to feel guilty about getting all this started with
what I intended as just a silly jest about the brass balls on the "What
is it" Item 436.

If SWMBO perchanced to read this thread she'd no doubt voice her disgust
by calling all of us "Tech Tools", which is what she calls me when I
perseverate endlessly about some inconsequential subject. :-)

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."