dumb question.

On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 22:01:12 UTC "DougW"
> wrote:

> That's my feeling. Maby they will send me up to Peterson AFB this winter.

Still not needed, Doug. COS hasn't seen more than 2 days below zero
in a long time and AIR the coldest we saw this last winter was like
-5. This global warming thing is questionable in it's extreme
application, but we haven't had much winter for a good 8-10 years. Of
course, the decade following the last string like that made brass
monkies an endangered species <g>.


--
Will Honea

On 20 Aug 2006 19:17:42 GMT, "Will Honea" > wrote:

>On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 22:01:12 UTC "DougW"
> wrote:
>
>> That's my feeling. Maby they will send me up to Peterson AFB this winter.
>
>Still not needed, Doug. COS hasn't seen more than 2 days below zero
>in a long time and AIR the coldest we saw this last winter was like
>-5. This global warming thing is questionable in it's extreme
>application, but we haven't had much winter for a good 8-10 years. Of
>course, the decade following the last string like that made brass
>monkies an endangered species <g>.

Ok, this is also OT, but serious-what is a "brass monkey", if anyone
knows (they very well may not)? It appears to be an old (circa
1890's-early 1900's) railroad term, but all efforts of historians to
find out have been so fruitless that no one can even speculate as to
what it was. I find the origins of old terms in our language
interesting, so I would love to know if ANYONE in here has any idea.

Dan

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq107.htm


"Hootowl" > wrote in message
...
> On 20 Aug 2006 19:17:42 GMT, "Will Honea" > wrote:
>
>>On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 22:01:12 UTC "DougW"
> wrote:
>>
>>> That's my feeling. Maby they will send me up to Peterson AFB this
>>> winter.
>>
>>Still not needed, Doug. COS hasn't seen more than 2 days below zero
>>in a long time and AIR the coldest we saw this last winter was like
>>-5. This global warming thing is questionable in it's extreme
>>application, but we haven't had much winter for a good 8-10 years. Of
>>course, the decade following the last string like that made brass
>>monkies an endangered species <g>.
>
> Ok, this is also OT, but serious-what is a "brass monkey", if anyone
> knows (they very well may not)? It appears to be an old (circa
> 1890's-early 1900's) railroad term, but all efforts of historians to
> find out have been so fruitless that no one can even speculate as to
> what it was. I find the origins of old terms in our language
> interesting, so I would love to know if ANYONE in here has any idea.
>
> Dan

Your most informative post confirms the vernacular usage most often
heard - and common to all parts of the South and West I've lived in.
Suffice to say that said creatures would lose reproductive capability
after exposure to the temperatures alluded to by the expression.

On Mon, 21 Aug 2006 04:14:10 UTC "billy ray" >
wrote:

> http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq107.htm
>
>
> "Hootowl" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On 20 Aug 2006 19:17:42 GMT, "Will Honea" > wrote:
> >
> >>On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 22:01:12 UTC "DougW"
> > wrote:
> >>
> >>> That's my feeling. Maby they will send me up to Peterson AFB this
> >>> winter.
> >>
> >>Still not needed, Doug. COS hasn't seen more than 2 days below zero
> >>in a long time and AIR the coldest we saw this last winter was like
> >>-5. This global warming thing is questionable in it's extreme
> >>application, but we haven't had much winter for a good 8-10 years. Of
> >>course, the decade following the last string like that made brass
> >>monkies an endangered species <g>.
> >
> > Ok, this is also OT, but serious-what is a "brass monkey", if anyone
> > knows (they very well may not)? It appears to be an old (circa
> > 1890's-early 1900's) railroad term, but all efforts of historians to
> > find out have been so fruitless that no one can even speculate as to
> > what it was. I find the origins of old terms in our language
> > interesting, so I would love to know if ANYONE in here has any idea.
> >
> > Dan
>
>


--
Will Honea

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_Monkey
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
http://www.billhughes.com/


Hootowl wrote:
>
> Ok, this is also OT, but serious-what is a "brass monkey", if anyone
> knows (they very well may not)? It appears to be an old (circa
> 1890's-early 1900's) railroad term, but all efforts of historians to
> find out have been so fruitless that no one can even speculate as to
> what it was. I find the origins of old terms in our language
> interesting, so I would love to know if ANYONE in here has any idea.
>
> Dan

The best explanation I have heard dates to the old navy times. They used
a formed/dimpled brass plate on the old ships to stack cannon balls
on, the brass monkey. When it got cold enough the brass would shrink and
the cannon balls would roll off. "Freeze the balls off a brass monkey"

Of course this raises a new question. Why did they call it a brass monkey?

Lurch

Hootowl wrote:
> On 20 Aug 2006 19:17:42 GMT, "Will Honea" > wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 22:01:12 UTC "DougW"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> That's my feeling. Maby they will send me up to Peterson AFB this winter.
>> Still not needed, Doug. COS hasn't seen more than 2 days below zero
>> in a long time and AIR the coldest we saw this last winter was like
>> -5. This global warming thing is questionable in it's extreme
>> application, but we haven't had much winter for a good 8-10 years. Of
>> course, the decade following the last string like that made brass
>> monkies an endangered species <g>.
>
> Ok, this is also OT, but serious-what is a "brass monkey", if anyone
> knows (they very well may not)? It appears to be an old (circa
> 1890's-early 1900's) railroad term, but all efforts of historians to
> find out have been so fruitless that no one can even speculate as to
> what it was. I find the origins of old terms in our language
> interesting, so I would love to know if ANYONE in here has any idea.
>
> Dan

That's one of the better discussions of the phrase I've seen. Thanks.


billy ray wrote:
> http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq107.htm
>
>
> "Hootowl" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>On 20 Aug 2006 19:17:42 GMT, "Will Honea" > wrote:
>>
>>
>>>On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 22:01:12 UTC "DougW"
> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>That's my feeling. Maby they will send me up to Peterson AFB this
>>>>winter.
>>>
>>>Still not needed, Doug. COS hasn't seen more than 2 days below zero
>>>in a long time and AIR the coldest we saw this last winter was like
>>>-5. This global warming thing is questionable in it's extreme
>>>application, but we haven't had much winter for a good 8-10 years. Of
>>>course, the decade following the last string like that made brass
>>>monkies an endangered species <g>.
>>
>>Ok, this is also OT, but serious-what is a "brass monkey", if anyone
>>knows (they very well may not)? It appears to be an old (circa
>>1890's-early 1900's) railroad term, but all efforts of historians to
>>find out have been so fruitless that no one can even speculate as to
>>what it was. I find the origins of old terms in our language
>>interesting, so I would love to know if ANYONE in here has any idea.
>>
>>Dan
>
>
>


--

This website supports what I thought would be true, So It Must Be
(tm).” David Winsemius willingly creates an anti-motto at room
temperature in AFU Labs.

On Mon, 21 Aug 2006 08:18:49 -0500, Eric Karr >
wrote:

>The best explanation I have heard dates to the old navy times. They used
> a formed/dimpled brass plate on the old ships to stack cannon balls
>on, the brass monkey. When it got cold enough the brass would shrink and
>the cannon balls would roll off. "Freeze the balls off a brass monkey"

Interesting, and fun. There may have been more than one type of
"brass monkey." We'll probably never know for sure. It's also weird
that my internet search for the origin of the term a couple of years
of so ago didn't turn up the navy device. I hadn't heard of the
Wikipedia back then - was it around then?

Dan
>
>Of course this raises a new question. Why did they call it a brass monkey?
>
>Lurch
>
>Hootowl wrote:
>> On 20 Aug 2006 19:17:42 GMT, "Will Honea" > wrote:
>>
>>> On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 22:01:12 UTC "DougW"
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> That's my feeling. Maby they will send me up to Peterson AFB this winter.
>>> Still not needed, Doug. COS hasn't seen more than 2 days below zero
>>> in a long time and AIR the coldest we saw this last winter was like
>>> -5. This global warming thing is questionable in it's extreme
>>> application, but we haven't had much winter for a good 8-10 years. Of
>>> course, the decade following the last string like that made brass
>>> monkies an endangered species <g>.
>>
>> Ok, this is also OT, but serious-what is a "brass monkey", if anyone
>> knows (they very well may not)? It appears to be an old (circa
>> 1890's-early 1900's) railroad term, but all efforts of historians to
>> find out have been so fruitless that no one can even speculate as to
>> what it was. I find the origins of old terms in our language
>> interesting, so I would love to know if ANYONE in here has any idea.
>>
>> Dan

Hootowl proclaimed:

> On 20 Aug 2006 19:17:42 GMT, "Will Honea" > wrote:
>
>
>>On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 22:01:12 UTC "DougW"
> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>That's my feeling. Maby they will send me up to Peterson AFB this winter.
>>
>>Still not needed, Doug. COS hasn't seen more than 2 days below zero
>>in a long time and AIR the coldest we saw this last winter was like
>>-5. This global warming thing is questionable in it's extreme
>>application, but we haven't had much winter for a good 8-10 years. Of
>>course, the decade following the last string like that made brass
>>monkies an endangered species <g>.
>
>
> Ok, this is also OT, but serious-what is a "brass monkey", if anyone
> knows (they very well may not)? It appears to be an old (circa
> 1890's-early 1900's) railroad term, but all efforts of historians to
> find out have been so fruitless that no one can even speculate as to
> what it was. I find the origins of old terms in our language
> interesting, so I would love to know if ANYONE in here has any idea.

Old sailor's term, predates railroads.

http://www.alaskastories.com/Stories8.html

>
> Ok, this is also OT, but serious-what is a "brass monkey", if anyone
> knows (they very well may not)? It appears to be an old (circa
> 1890's-early 1900's) railroad term, but all efforts of historians to
> find out have been so fruitless that no one can even speculate as to
> what it was. I find the origins of old terms in our language
> interesting, so I would love to know if ANYONE in here has any idea.
>
> Dan