Comments on: The Quick 10: 10 Obsolete Units of Measurement

By: EasterC

EasterC — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:11:17 +0000

In engineering we use US customary units and one of the most bizarre in my opinion is the slug (a unit of mass).

1 slug = 1 lbf*sec^2/ft, or
1 slug = 32.17 lbm

I think the slug definitely belongs on this list. BTW, I also do crossfit and have thus become familiar with pood (36 lbm) as a kettlebell measure.

By: Jurandr

Jurandr — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:08:17 +0000

A ‘hand’ would be quite literally the width of a hand. This measurement was used by builders. To keep consistency, it was generally the Queen’s hand used for this measurement.

By: Doflitchit

Doflitchit — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:34:07 +0000

Stephen,

Moving wouldn’t have been an extra verb in an incomplete sentence. If it was intelligible as it is I wouldn’t have had to ask that question.

By: JONM

JONM — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:20:55 +0000

All the American/Imperialist units. Ypu should adopt the MKS system once and for all!!!!

By: Dunder

Dunder — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:17:19 +0000

Stacy!

The song your grandma used to sing is one of the songs that Adelaide sings in her night club act in “Guys and Dolls”. Don’t bother trying to find it in the movie version, however; it was replaced by that travesty of a song, “Pet Me Poppa”. I believe there is an interesting story behind the change, but I can’t remember what it is for the life of me.

By: adams

adams — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:41:51 +0000

Anyone ever heard of a trot-line? Where you set the hooks as far apart as a horse trots?
Country folks can survive!

By: PH

PH — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:09:10 +0000

When I was travelling abroad, I listened to an American engineer whining about how the metric system was ‘stoopid’. Stupid for who…?

By: Roberto Alsina

Roberto Alsina — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:28:24 +0000

Hectare is used almost everywhere outside the US. It’s the ordinary metric measurement for farm sizes, for instance.

By: John

John — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:30:47 +0000

Hectare? Its a metric measurement, used for land area, not widely used.

By: ASTROBOY

ASTROBOY — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:00:46 +0000

Then there is the “reel”. Its an old unit of measure of movie film. Its equal to 1000 feet, the length that would fit on the most common size of physical reel way back in the 1910′s. But if you are talking about 16mm film, a reel equals 400 feet. It also evolved into a unit of time, 11 minutes for sound film, 16 minutes for silent film. Now most actual reels hold far more than 11 minutes of film. And most theaters do not use physical reels at all but still refer to films as “two-reelers” etc.