Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/01/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Similar to the phrase "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey" I had always been told that Nelson era ships stacked their cannonballs on a brass triangle with legs known as a brass monkey (in fact I remember this being pointed out when going round Nelsons HMS Victory once). When travelling in very cold climes (i.e. Canada!) the brass contracted enough for the balls to fall of...! So it is not exactly a terribly off colour phrase. And I'm sure those jolly matelots were unaware of the double entendre (ha ha ha). Maybe apocryphal, but the little device on the Victory was known as a brass monkey. Tim A > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Rod Fleming > Sent: January 23, 2000 2:19 PM > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > Subject: [Leica] stitch-up > > > Hi > > Gaifana (why don't you sign your posts?)wrote > > >. What does this mean, "stitched up?" > > Mmmm. Sort of "set up for the patsy". It's when someone performs a fait > accompli on you- manoeuvres you into a position you would rather > not be in. > > I have heard- and like a lot of these things this could be apocryphal, so > I'll stand corrected if this is wrong- that it comes from Royal > Navy slang- > mariners will know that the practise following a death at sea is > to sew the > deceased into a bolt of canvas sailcloth (modern warships, which > lack sails, > carry the stuff for this reason) before heaving them over the side- so > "stitched up"- put somewhere you don't want to be and unable to > do anything > about it. Whether or not the provenance is true, the sense is accurate. > > Cheers > > Rod > >