<Li> The physics do not stand up to scrutiny . The contraction of both balls and plate over the range of temperatures involved would not be particularly large . The effect claimed possibly could be reproduced under laboratory conditions with objects engineered to a high precision for this purpose, but it is unlikely it would ever have occurred in real life aboard a warship . </Li> <P> The reference is most likely a humorous reference to emphasize how cold it is . </P>

Where did the phrase cold as balls come from