RE: ShopTalk: Cold!!!!!!!

[Tom Wishon]

Guys:   Hey Jim, your mention of the “monkey” brought back a real smile to my face that made me recall that other cultures use the same _expression_.  Year ago I was on a biz trip to Scotland in January on a project and one of the guys I was visiting there was a member at Old Prestwick GC, the links where they played the first 12 British Opens.  He insisted we go play in January and that we could play with his “group” that was called the “Brass Monkey Society”.  Of course when I inquired as to why he and his other 10 cohorts in the society called themselves the Brass Monkeys, I was duly informed that was because they insisted on always playing when it was cold enough there to freeze the you know what off a brass monkey!!     TOM   -----Original Message----- From: Thomson, Jim [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 9:49 AM To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' Subject: RE: ShopTalk: Cold!!!!!!!   I've heard another version. The frames were originally made of brass and called "monkeys". They had the same reaction to the cold as Arnie mentioned and hence the _expression_ "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey" -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: January 16, 2004 11:14 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: ShopTalk: Cold!!!!!!! Nah, Michigan is seasonably warm today, low twenties! At 45* you put the convertible top down. If you don't own a convertible you put on a bathing suit and wash the car in the driveway. Reminds me of the old naval _expression_. When cannon balls were stacked in an iron frame (now done with golf balls at some ranges) on the deck severe cold weather caused the iron frame to contract and break causing the cannon balls to roll off the deck. Thus came the _expression_: "It's cold enough to freeze your balls off".