here's a bit of trivia for all who have used a familar phrase.

In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. But how to prevent them from rolling about the deck?
The best storage method devised was a square base pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four, resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. 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 out from under the others.
The solution was a metal plate called a 'monkey' with 16 round indentations. But if this plate was made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make the monkey out of brass.
Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much further and much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannon balls would be forced off the monkey as the plate shrank. Thus it was quite literally 'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey!'
You knew it all along......right?

Yeah ... and I thought I was just referencing those that took too many vitamins with Copper ...

Fun5,
Interesting bit of trivia. I love hearing where phrases like that come from. My mother is always throwing one liners out that I assume she picked up from her parents. I should spend some time learning where they come from and what they mean. Thanks for sharing.
JMS

I always wonder where "Go-ahead, make my day" came from!

Great naval trivia!

How 'bout "Better watch your P's and Q's?"

Downriggin'