What is the origin of cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey?

Answer 1

In the old days when ships had cannons on board, the cannon balls would be kept on a brass plate with indentations in it to rest the lead cannon balls in. They would be then piled up in a pyramid on this plate, the plate was called a brass monkey. When it got really cold the plate would contract at a different rate to the balls and they would fall off. Hence the phrase - "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey".

The above appears to be an erroneous answer. These links should help:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/cold%20enough%20to%20freeze%20the%20balls%20off%20a%20brass%20monkey.html

http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/brass.asp