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. However, how

to prevent them from rolling about the deck?   The best storage

method devised was a square-based 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 or rolling from under the others. The

solution was a metal plate called a 'Monkey' with 16 round

indentations. However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron

balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem

was to make 'Brass Monkeys.' Few  landlubbers realize that brass

contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled..

Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass

indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs would

come right off the monkey; Thus, it was quite literally, 'Cold

enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.' (All this time, you

thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.)

       Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine

what the people considered important. Since there were no

telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants

to local taverns, pubs, and bars.  They were told to 'go sip some

Ale and listen to people's conversations and political concerns.

Many assistants were dispatched at different times.  'You go sip

here' and 'You go sip there.' The two words 'go sip' were

eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus

we have the term 'gossip.'

       At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and

quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the

customers and keep the drinks coming.  She had to pay close

attention and remember who was drinking in 'pints' and who was

drinking in 'quarts,' hence the phrase 'minding your 'P's and Q's'.