brass monkey
While the exact origin of the term 'brass monkey' is unkown, it's 200-plus year usage history indicates its original meaning is related to the Kelvin Spheres that sit on either side of a ship's binnacle. The balls, which are iron, help offset magnetic shifts so the compass inside the binnacle remains pointed toward magnetic north. The two balls are traditionally mounted on brass arms, which were called 'monkeys' by sailors in the 18th and 19th centuries. The phrase 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey' didn't rear its head into common usage until the 20th century. Original uses referred to 'freezing the tail of a brass monkey,' or 'melting the nose off a brass monkey,' and can be found in 19th century sailing texts like Herman Melville's "Omoo" ('...it was 'ot enough to melt the nose h'off a brass monkey....'). Again, while the exact meaning is unkown, the term has beeen definitively rejected by the Department of the Navy, the Oxford English Dictionary and other noted etymologists as describing a pyramid of cannonballs on a brass tray. Not only were they never used on board ship during the age of sail as they would have rolled everywhere with the rocking of the ship, but the balls and tray would expand and contract at nearly the same rate due to cold and heat, and therefore the stack would never have fallen apart due temperature change.
The Urban Dictionary Mug
It's the best mug in the history of mugs.
love it
excellent customer service. i gave the wrong address and they got it here quick.
This was easy to order although I wish the preview pics showed the next on both sides once you finish customizing. But I appreciated that if the text doesn't fit they email you and ask what you want it to say. Came out great and I can't wait to give it as a gift
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I love How I can order a cup with one of my favorite words
Well printed, the mug's ceramic is of good quality, I'm not sure what else I can add. I am surprised it could be printed and shipped so quickly based on my earlier experience printing/kiln-firing/baking this kind of product. Well done.
Sent to a friend. He loved it!
I can't stop putting weird things on the cup I love this website 😆
Purchased this for my fiancé. One night watching TV, she blurted out the word "kaputnik." We laughed so hard. Never dreamed it was an actual word. Now, we know better. LOL
Sent a mug with DABNABIT printed on it to my Grandaughter for her birthday! She absolutely was thrilled with it! This is a saying I’ve used over the years a lot & we’ve always laughed about it! Ordered myself one too!!
Best mug I've ever seen honestly
looks great, came quickly, exactly as I wanted. minor observation - the coffee mug was a bit smaller than I expected. The mug is normal size, but most of my mugs tend to be a bit larger. No matter. I still enjoy it!! Perfect would have been larger - but that I my preference.
Bought this mug as a joke, the concept of there being a "magical one" was very funny to me. Great quality, I even feel magical myself.
Perfect!!
My nut hurts my nut hurts help
i bought this mug for my classmate and he likes it since its his crush name
Great mugs, great format, always fun to buy for friends!
Weird text for a dad mug Why can i put Infantile Pillock on a mug for my dad? Pretty funny
my partner thought it was very silly
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