I heard it as "Colder than a well digger's ass in the Klondike!".

Actually, you would not stack ball in a pyramid on a ship. The ship's roll would topple such a configuration. On the gun deck you will more likely find shot/ball stored on shot garlands, a plank with holes to suit the size ball for the type gun.

Ball at shore batteries were stored in pyramids using monkeys.

It is likely this was not naval in origin.

and, "slicker than a snot on a rubber boot"
"Slicker than a snot on a chicken's lip"

My hillbilly friend says "shines like a diamond in a goat's ass". I have no idea how he knows.

Hornier than a two dick dog.

Busier than a one armed drywaller!

Crazy as a hoot owl! (another saying from one of my friends)

Shakin like a squirrel sh.ttin pine cones.

Busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.

Cuter than a bugs ear.

Hotter than a two peckered billy goat.

Slicker than owl *****.

From my dad: I’ll be all over you like the dew covers Dixie and I’ll be all over you like white on rice.

It should have said rocking horse manure (instead of chair).

Those were tweaks of expressions that are commonly known that I thought were funny. They probably haven't been heard many times like the originals- sorry.

Of course that wasn't all of them. It was a thread starter. Geez...

Yes it is.

The end.

You read too much.

Around here we get white trash people saying "Where I come from we eat Charlies like you for breakfast."

"It's time to piss in the fire and call in the dogs..."

You will have the devi to pay.
Devil= the plank next to the keel on a wooden ship.
Pay= Paying is shoving cotton that s mixed with tar into the seams formed by the planks.
To pay the devil one must lay on your back to shove the cotton/tar stuff in the seam. A hard job to say the least.
Others---
Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Caught between the devil and a hard spot

Minute unit of measurement, RCH.

edit: I'm fairly certain it's the same in SAE and metric.
_