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Those old sayings
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.
Isn't that to do with cannon balls on a ship?
"
Yup. One of many naval sayings. Including square meals. |
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By *emini ManMan
over a year ago
There and to the left a bit |
"It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.
Isn't that to do with cannon balls on a ship?
"
Yep...cannon balls used to be held in a ring called a brass monkey, when it was freezing cold the ring would contract forcing the balls to roll off it. 
The Navy is responsible for loads of sayings in popular use, there's even a book of them available. |
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"It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.
Isn't that to do with cannon balls on a ship?
Yep...cannon balls used to be held in a ring called a brass monkey, when it was freezing cold the ring would contract forcing the balls to roll off it.
The Navy is responsible for loads of sayings in popular use, there's even a book of them available."
I suppose those sailors had to pass the time somehow  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Gordon Bennet, it's Bedlum on here,  "
This is from memory. There was a newspaper proprietor (I believe) in New York who's party trick was to whip the tablecloth off unsuspecting diners tables in restaurants, sometimes causing a mess. They used to cry his name... Gordon Bennet. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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What about "I am a genuine, reliable guy and will always turn up"
It's an old Fabswingers saying which means "I am a unreliable keyboard wanker with erectile dysfunction who will never turn up or tell you i am not coming!" strange how these things old sayings come into existance??  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.
Isn't that to do with cannon balls on a ship?
Yep...cannon balls used to be held in a ring called a brass monkey, when it was freezing cold the ring would contract forcing the balls to roll off it.
The Navy is responsible for loads of sayings in popular use, there's even a book of them available."
It's called Jackspeak. Try working with them, it's like learning another language! |
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By *emini ManMan
over a year ago
There and to the left a bit |
"It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.
Isn't that to do with cannon balls on a ship?
Yep...cannon balls used to be held in a ring called a brass monkey, when it was freezing cold the ring would contract forcing the balls to roll off it.
The Navy is responsible for loads of sayings in popular use, there's even a book of them available.
It's called Jackspeak. Try working with them, it's like learning another language!"
That's the one!! And I did (even had a very brief stint in there myself) and it most definitely is an education!! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.
Isn't that to do with cannon balls on a ship?
Yep...cannon balls used to be held in a ring called a brass monkey, when it was freezing cold the ring would contract forcing the balls to roll off it.
The Navy is responsible for loads of sayings in popular use, there's even a book of them available."
learn something every day |
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By *emini ManMan
over a year ago
There and to the left a bit |
"It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.
Isn't that to do with cannon balls on a ship?
Yep...cannon balls used to be held in a ring called a brass monkey, when it was freezing cold the ring would contract forcing the balls to roll off it.
The Navy is responsible for loads of sayings in popular use, there's even a book of them available.
learn something every day"
Oh I'm a mine of useless information!!
Did you know the word "loo" is a derivation from medieval times when they used to throw the contents of their bedpans out the window and would shout "Guardez l'eau" meaning "mind the water" as a warning to any people passing? |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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bite the bullet
Soldiers equipped with the British Enfield rifle. Prior to using it, they had to bite off the head of the cartridge to expose the explosive to the spark which would ignite it |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"The whole 9 yards ?
American football saying. "
Nope, it comes from WWII American bombers and means firing a full length of bullets that were on webbing which was 9 yards long from the side machine guns. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"And there meaning ....... 
The cat is out of the bag "
Comes from 'Pig in a Poke", unscrupulous people used to try and sell a piglet runt as healthy piglets in a sack (poke) hoping the buyer wouldn't check and some times cats were known to substituted for piglets. So, if buyer demanded to see "piglet" the sack would be opened and "the cat is out of the bag". |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.
Isn't that to do with cannon balls on a ship?
Yep...cannon balls used to be held in a ring called a brass monkey, when it was freezing cold the ring would contract forcing the balls to roll off it.
The Navy is responsible for loads of sayings in popular use, there's even a book of them available."
The urban myth must have slightly changed because it used to be the balls contracted and fell through the holes. Either way it's wrong, the contraction of either metal would be insufficient to cause falling through or popping out of the cannon balls. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"What about "I am a genuine, reliable guy and will always turn up"
It's an old Fabswingers saying which means "I am a unreliable keyboard wanker with erectile dysfunction who will never turn up or tell you i am not coming!" strange how these things old sayings come into existance?? "
Now that one's true! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Not enough room to swing a cat.
Another Naval saying meaning swing the cat and 9 tails whip used fur flogging.....  "
Another urban myth, floggings were carried out on the deck of a ship because the ships crew all had to watch so there would have been plenty of room to swing a cat-o-nine tails.
Saying may refer to a Cot, sleeping hammock, and not enough room for it swing freely since ship tossed about a lot or the jolly sport of putting a cat in a bag for it to be tied to a tree branch for target practice. |
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By *emini ManMan
over a year ago
There and to the left a bit |
"It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.
Isn't that to do with cannon balls on a ship?
Yep...cannon balls used to be held in a ring called a brass monkey, when it was freezing cold the ring would contract forcing the balls to roll off it.
The Navy is responsible for loads of sayings in popular use, there's even a book of them available.
The urban myth must have slightly changed because it used to be the balls contracted and fell through the holes. Either way it's wrong, the contraction of either metal would be insufficient to cause falling through or popping out of the cannon balls."
Well bloody hell all these years I've been telling people that too!! Guess it's my turn to live and learn!!  |
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"It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.
Isn't that to do with cannon balls on a ship?
Yep...cannon balls used to be held in a ring called a brass monkey, when it was freezing cold the ring would contract forcing the balls to roll off it.
The Navy is responsible for loads of sayings in popular use, there's even a book of them available.
learn something every day
Oh I'm a mine of useless information!!
Did you know the word "loo" is a derivation from medieval times when they used to throw the contents of their bedpans out the window and would shout "Guardez l'eau" meaning "mind the water" as a warning to any people passing? "
Yep - and it was against the law for any of the effluence to touch the side of the building. But it was fine for it to land in the street... |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"The whole 9 yards ?
American football saying.
Nope, it comes from WWII American bombers and means firing a full length of bullets that were on webbing which was 9 yards long from the side machine guns."
Not true, the phrase was first printed in 1907 and again in 1908, both talking about baseball games. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"What have I started
That came from the baker on Pudding Lane in London 1666"
If only! No, as a King's baker he insisted on rebuilding his business without accepting any responsibility. Monument is said to have been built on the site of the bakery. This is false. It's on Fish Street rather than Pudding Lane. The baker had his shop rebuilt and so the monument had to be built on the nearest pad of municipal land - that of St Margaret's Church Fish Street.
I think the prize for "What have I started" goes to God! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"
I think the prize for "What have I started" goes to God! "
As a non believer, I think the person who said that was the person who made up the idea of God. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Beat about the bush... think it has something to do with hairy fanny's
"
Think it's a shooting expression telling beaters, people who scare game birds to flight, to scare hiding birds from the bush. |
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"bedlam was a mental institution, apparently not a good one
I believe it was located on the site currently occupied by Liverpool Street Station"
Nope, it's still there, the Bethlem Royal Hospital in Beckenham. Still a psychiatric hospital, and there's a museum now as well.
|
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"bedlam was a mental institution, apparently not a good one
I believe it was located on the site currently occupied by Liverpool Street Station
Nope, it's still there, the Bethlem Royal Hospital in Beckenham. Still a psychiatric hospital, and there's a museum now as well.
"
It's had a few places. It was in moorfields near Liverpool Street followed by a move to the building that became the imperial war museum before moving to Beckenham about 120 years ago. |
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