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Thread ID: 84417 2007-11-04 21:05:00 Monday Laughs: Kids......End of school year clearout, 8 of the best... Billy T (70) PC World Chat
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608386 2007-11-07 21:10:00 Things you always wanted to know . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Back before missiles, it was necessary to keep a good supply

of cannon balls near the cannon on war ships . How to prevent

them from rolling back was a problem . The best storage method

devised was 1 on top, resting on 4, resting on 9, which rested on

16, 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 a monkey . But, if this plate was

made of iron, the iron cannon balls would quickly rust to it . To

solve this problem it was decided to make these monkeys out of

brass consequently no rust .



Few landlubbers realized that brass contracts much more and much

faster than iron when chilled . Consequently when the temperature

dropped to low the brass indentations would shrink so much that

the iron cannon balls would roll right off the monkey .



Thus, it was quite literally, cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass

monkey .



And all this time you thought it was a vulgar expression, didn't you?

Shame On You!
Cicero (40)
608387 2007-11-07 22:14:00 Not true Cicero. A bit of research rebuts your fallacious though amusing theory. Richard (739)
608388 2007-11-07 22:26:00 Not true Cicero. A bit of research rebuts your fallacious though amusing theory.
Well it was when I served on those galleons.You cheeky monkey.:rolleyes:
Cicero (40)
608389 2007-11-07 22:34:00 Well it was when I served on those galleons.You cheeky monkey.:rolleyes:

Not brassy though I hope?
Richard (739)
608390 2007-11-08 20:42:00 Sorry to spoil the joke here, Cicero: en.wikipedia.org(colloquial_expression)#Cannonballs Renmoo (66)
608391 2007-11-08 22:01:00 Sorry to spoil the joke here, Cicero: en.wikipedia.org(colloquial_expression)#Cannonballs

But Cicero's story is so much more interesting!! (And entertaining and believeable).
johcar (6283)
608392 2007-11-08 23:33:00 Some get there kicks out of spoiling things for others.


:rolleyes:
Cicero (40)
608393 2007-11-09 00:56:00 Sorry to spoil the joke here, Cicero: en.wikipedia.org(colloquial_expression)#Cannonballs (en.wikipedia.org ls)

Oh wise and wonderous James, font of all knowledge on the page you link to if you scroll up a bit, would you know the purpose of the fourth monkey, or should we wait for Bozo the wonderchimp to explain it
Morgenmuffel (187)
608394 2007-11-09 18:01:00 Heavy science question for the likes of out Terry and B .



The Bathtub Sanity Test


During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director what the criterion was that defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalised .


"Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask them to empty the bathtub . "


"Oh! I understand," said the visitor .


"A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the teaspoon and the teacup!"


"No," said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug . Do you want a bed near the window?"
Cicero (40)
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