A gallon of milk isn't always a gallon

**StiffLegged** · 05-15-2021, 12:16 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Parallax

Well...............
Ancient Egyptian units of measurement - Wikipedia

But the cubic cubit doesn't specify whether it uses the regular cubit (elbow to fingertip) or the royal cubit (regular cubit plus a handspan)? Enquiring minds would like to know.

slartibartfast01 · 05-15-2021, 12:24 PM

Originally posted by timb64

But we presently have a mongrel system part Imperial (all road signs, fuel consumption are in miles,mpg,etc) and part metric (all weights and volumes have to be displayed in kg, litres etc).

There was a time when we almost lost the pint of beer to be replaced with 0.5 litre

---------- Post added 05-15-21 at 07:33 PM ----------

Originally posted by Wheatfield

3.78 liters is 128 fluid ounces. In Canada, when we went metric, the volume of a "gallon" of milk lost something like nine ounces.

Are they US fluid ounces or UK fluid ounces?

mee · 05-15-2021, 12:46 PM

Originally posted by Lowell Goudge

It is all about the appearance to the consumer.

The consumer here doesn't seem to largely want this globalized, euro inspired nonsense.

Special interests such as USMA (through liberal colleges and universities) have been trying to push this on American citizens for many many many years. Over 100. There has been some success through putting metric measurements on product containers. Similar to the Hispanicization of the US in putting Spanish as a second form of language on containers/roads signs/advertisements and such.

Killing the standing culture for another (that doesn't even live here).

You can be darned sure, if they ever succeed, I'm still going to use Fahrenheit, US miles, inches, fluid ounces, US gallons, and Americanized English.

If I wanted to use other forms of measurement and take in another culture, I'd move to another country. Live and let live.

Parallax · 05-15-2021, 12:52 PM

Originally posted by slartibartfast01

There was a time when we almost lost the pint of beer to be replaced with 0.5 litre

Just curious here.
In the U.S. a pint is 16 ounces. Is it there also or is it actually .5 Litre?

Michael Piziak · 05-15-2021, 01:00 PM

From a retired Science teacher, where we always used the metric system I can tell you this.
Using the old English system of measuring actually & often makes more sense to what humans humanly manage. One example is a gallon of milk - it's the right size to carry about as much weight as a human can reasonably carry and get the most milk for the manageable size and weight of the container. Another example is a pint of beer. A pint is simply the right size to hand hold and drink from. Feet is another example, most people can generally step off how many feet long something is with one foot in front of the other and get a really good estimate - the feet and inches, we taught in Science class, was actually based on the size of the kings foot and inch the size from the knuckle part of the thumb to the end of the thumb (based on the kings thumb again, which did present a problem when a new king came along and the distance had to be changed for foot and inch size for everyone). Using Fahrenheit to adjust the temperature in a room gives more flexibility because adjusting temperature in Fahrenheit degrees gives you "more control" on the amount you want to adjust the temperature up and down (for example, if it's 68 degrees Fahrenheit and you adjust the thermostat up to 72 degrees, that is actually increasing Celsius from 20 to 22.2 degrees - adjusting the temperature in Fahrenheit degrees gives you more "degrees" when you want to barely adjust the temperature in the room up or down a little [if one adjusted the temperature 4 degrees in Celsius, it would be like adjusting the temperature 7.2 degrees in Fahrenheit - harder to reach your comfort level, in my opinion. The list goes on.

Anyways, I'm still more concerned with seeing someone submit a photo of these new "gallon looking" containers of milk, that tricks people into thinking they grabbed a whole gallon of milk.

slartibartfast01 · 05-15-2021, 01:09 PM

Originally posted by Parallax

Just curious here.
In the U.S. a pint is 16 ounces. Is it there also or is it actually .5 Litre?

A UK pint is 20 UK fluid ounces or 0.568 litres. A pint glass in a bar used to be slightly oversized with a line to mark a pint. This allowed for a head on the beer as well as a full pint. Now a pint glass holds a pint when full to the brim so if you don't insist and ask for it to be topped up you very rarely get a full pint.

**Serkevan** · 05-15-2021, 01:20 PM

Originally posted by Lowell Goudge

If retail laws required (at least on the shelf) the price per unit volume and the actual price of the container, you would learn pretty fast to read the lables

AFAIK, those laws exist in several places in Europe... or at least, the price per unit (volume, mass, unit itself) is always there.

But then again we're crazy people who put the actual money you have to pay as the price, no need to calculate taxes

.

Parallax · 05-15-2021, 01:26 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by slartibartfast01

Now a pint glass holds a pint when full to the brim so if you don't insist and ask for it to be topped up you very rarely get a full pint.

I remember seeing that on tv news when it changed.

Originally posted by Serkevan

But then again we're crazy people who put the actual money you have to pay as the price, no need to calculate taxes .

Making things easier for the consumer. What a strange concept.

**luftfluss** · 05-15-2021, 01:33 PM

Originally posted by Michael Piziak

Anyways, I'm still more concerned with seeing someone submit a photo of these new "gallon looking" containers of milk, that tricks people into thinking they grabbed a whole gallon of milk.

While I haven't seen it with milk, I have seen gallon-looking containers of orange juice that are actually 96oz.

**Serkevan** · 05-15-2021, 01:38 PM

Originally posted by mee

Special interests such as USMA (through liberal colleges and universities) have been trying to push this on American citizens for many many many years. Over 100. There has been some success through putting metric measurements on product containers. Similar to the Hispanicization of the US in putting Spanish as a second form of language on containers/roads signs/advertisements and such.

Killing the standing culture for another (that doesn't even live here).

Hey, I've had to manage both systems for a very long time, because you guys insist on pushing your system on everyone else whenever anything involving engineering standards is on the table... So don't talk too loud

. I swear to God if I have to calculate anything in BTU/ft3 again...

Also, a good portion of the US was speaking Spanish before anyone uttered a word of English in those places

slartibartfast01 · 05-15-2021, 01:44 PM

Originally posted by Serkevan

Hey, I've had to manage both systems for a very long time, because you guys insist on pushing your system on everyone else whenever anything involving engineering standards is on the table... So don't talk too loud

. I swear to God if I have to calculate anything in BTU/ft3 again...

Also, a good portion of the US was speaking Spanish before anyone uttered a word of English in those places

Be thankful US inches are the same as imperial inches

(most of the time anyway)

bertwert · 05-15-2021, 01:46 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by mee

The consumer here doesn't seem to largely want this globalized, euro inspired nonsense.

Special interests such as USMA (through liberal colleges and universities) have been trying to push this on American citizens for many many many years. Over 100. There has been some success through putting metric measurements on product containers. Similar to the Hispanicization of the US in putting Spanish as a second form of language on containers/roads signs/advertisements and such.

Killing the standing culture for another (that doesn't even live here).

You can be darned sure, if they ever succeed, I'm still going to use Fahrenheit, US miles, inches, fluid ounces, US gallons, and Americanized English.

If I wanted to use other forms of measurement and take in another culture, I'd move to another country. Live and let live.

Hahaha, you do realize this culture you're not wanting to leave has evolved over the years, and very much so not the culture native to North America?

bertwert · 05-15-2021, 01:47 PM

Originally posted by Serkevan

AFAIK, those laws exist in several places in Europe... or at least, the price per unit (volume, mass, unit itself) is always there.

But then again we're crazy people who put the actual money you have to pay as the price, no need to calculate taxes

.

Here, many stores have price per [volume/mass/unit] which is quite convenient - if there isn't you'll certainly see me in the aisle staring into space as I do some mental arithmetic

**StiffLegged** · 05-15-2021, 02:09 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by bertwert

...you'll certainly see me in the aisle staring into space as I do some mental arithmetic

And here was me thinking these photos were of some simple soul bemused at the sheer variety on sale: well, well!

mee · 05-15-2021, 02:39 PM

Originally posted by slartibartfast01

Of course. How could I forget the wall.

The one in York or Chester?

05-15-2021, 01:00 PM	#65
Michael Piziak Closed Account Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,815 Original Poster	From a retired Science teacher, where we always used the metric system I can tell you this. Using the old English system of measuring actually & often makes more sense to what humans humanly manage. One example is a gallon of milk - it's the right size to carry about as much weight as a human can reasonably carry and get the most milk for the manageable size and weight of the container. Another example is a pint of beer. A pint is simply the right size to hand hold and drink from. Feet is another example, most people can generally step off how many feet long something is with one foot in front of the other and get a really good estimate - the feet and inches, we taught in Science class, was actually based on the size of the kings foot and inch the size from the knuckle part of the thumb to the end of the thumb (based on the kings thumb again, which did present a problem when a new king came along and the distance had to be changed for foot and inch size for everyone). Using Fahrenheit to adjust the temperature in a room gives more flexibility because adjusting temperature in Fahrenheit degrees gives you "more control" on the amount you want to adjust the temperature up and down (for example, if it's 68 degrees Fahrenheit and you adjust the thermostat up to 72 degrees, that is actually increasing Celsius from 20 to 22.2 degrees - adjusting the temperature in Fahrenheit degrees gives you more "degrees" when you want to barely adjust the temperature in the room up or down a little [if one adjusted the temperature 4 degrees in Celsius, it would be like adjusting the temperature 7.2 degrees in Fahrenheit - harder to reach your comfort level, in my opinion. The list goes on. Anyways, I'm still more concerned with seeing someone submit a photo of these new "gallon looking" containers of milk, that tricks people into thinking they grabbed a whole gallon of milk. Last edited by Michael Piziak; 05-15-2021 at 01:24 PM.

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05-15-2021, 12:16 PM - 1 Like	#61
StiffLegged Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2018 Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,635	Originally posted by Parallax Well............... Ancient Egyptian units of measurement - Wikipedia But the cubic cubit doesn't specify whether it uses the regular cubit (elbow to fingertip) or the royal cubit (regular cubit plus a handspan)? Enquiring minds would like to know.

05-15-2021, 12:24 PM	#62
slartibartfast01 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,931	Originally posted by timb64 But we presently have a mongrel system part Imperial (all road signs, fuel consumption are in miles,mpg,etc) and part metric (all weights and volumes have to be displayed in kg, litres etc). There was a time when we almost lost the pint of beer to be replaced with 0.5 litre ---------- Post added 05-15-21 at 07:33 PM ---------- Originally posted by Wheatfield 3.78 liters is 128 fluid ounces. In Canada, when we went metric, the volume of a "gallon" of milk lost something like nine ounces. Are they US fluid ounces or UK fluid ounces?

05-15-2021, 12:46 PM	#63
mee Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 7,403	Originally posted by Lowell Goudge It is all about the appearance to the consumer. The consumer here doesn't seem to largely want this globalized, euro inspired nonsense. Special interests such as USMA (through liberal colleges and universities) have been trying to push this on American citizens for many many many years. Over 100. There has been some success through putting metric measurements on product containers. Similar to the Hispanicization of the US in putting Spanish as a second form of language on containers/roads signs/advertisements and such. Killing the standing culture for another (that doesn't even live here). You can be darned sure, if they ever succeed, I'm still going to use Fahrenheit, US miles, inches, fluid ounces, US gallons, and Americanized English. If I wanted to use other forms of measurement and take in another culture, I'd move to another country. Live and let live.

05-15-2021, 12:52 PM	#64
Parallax Senior Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Dakota Photos: Gallery Posts: 19,333	Originally posted by slartibartfast01 There was a time when we almost lost the pint of beer to be replaced with 0.5 litre Just curious here. In the U.S. a pint is 16 ounces. Is it there also or is it actually .5 Litre?

05-15-2021, 01:09 PM	#66
slartibartfast01 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,931	Originally posted by Parallax Just curious here. In the U.S. a pint is 16 ounces. Is it there also or is it actually .5 Litre? A UK pint is 20 UK fluid ounces or 0.568 litres. A pint glass in a bar used to be slightly oversized with a line to mark a pint. This allowed for a head on the beer as well as a full pint. Now a pint glass holds a pint when full to the brim so if you don't insist and ask for it to be topped up you very rarely get a full pint.

05-15-2021, 01:20 PM	#67
Serkevan Site Supporter Join Date: May 2019 Photos: Albums Posts: 5,976	Originally posted by Lowell Goudge If retail laws required (at least on the shelf) the price per unit volume and the actual price of the container, you would learn pretty fast to read the lables AFAIK, those laws exist in several places in Europe... or at least, the price per unit (volume, mass, unit itself) is always there. But then again we're crazy people who put the actual money you have to pay as the price, no need to calculate taxes .

05-15-2021, 01:26 PM - 1 Like	#68
Parallax Senior Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Dakota Photos: Gallery Posts: 19,333	Originally posted by slartibartfast01 Now a pint glass holds a pint when full to the brim so if you don't insist and ask for it to be topped up you very rarely get a full pint. I remember seeing that on tv news when it changed. Originally posted by Serkevan But then again we're crazy people who put the actual money you have to pay as the price, no need to calculate taxes . Making things easier for the consumer. What a strange concept.

05-15-2021, 01:33 PM	#69
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,628	Originally posted by Michael Piziak Anyways, I'm still more concerned with seeing someone submit a photo of these new "gallon looking" containers of milk, that tricks people into thinking they grabbed a whole gallon of milk. While I haven't seen it with milk, I have seen gallon-looking containers of orange juice that are actually 96oz.

05-15-2021, 01:38 PM	#70
Serkevan Site Supporter Join Date: May 2019 Photos: Albums Posts: 5,976	Originally posted by mee Special interests such as USMA (through liberal colleges and universities) have been trying to push this on American citizens for many many many years. Over 100. There has been some success through putting metric measurements on product containers. Similar to the Hispanicization of the US in putting Spanish as a second form of language on containers/roads signs/advertisements and such. Killing the standing culture for another (that doesn't even live here). Hey, I've had to manage both systems for a very long time, because you guys insist on pushing your system on everyone else whenever anything involving engineering standards is on the table... So don't talk too loud . I swear to God if I have to calculate anything in BTU/ft3 again... Also, a good portion of the US was speaking Spanish before anyone uttered a word of English in those places

05-15-2021, 01:44 PM	#71
slartibartfast01 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,931	Originally posted by Serkevan Hey, I've had to manage both systems for a very long time, because you guys insist on pushing your system on everyone else whenever anything involving engineering standards is on the table... So don't talk too loud . I swear to God if I have to calculate anything in BTU/ft3 again... Also, a good portion of the US was speaking Spanish before anyone uttered a word of English in those places Be thankful US inches are the same as imperial inches (most of the time anyway)

05-15-2021, 01:46 PM - 2 Likes	#72
bertwert Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Golden, BC Posts: 15,172	Originally posted by mee The consumer here doesn't seem to largely want this globalized, euro inspired nonsense. Special interests such as USMA (through liberal colleges and universities) have been trying to push this on American citizens for many many many years. Over 100. There has been some success through putting metric measurements on product containers. Similar to the Hispanicization of the US in putting Spanish as a second form of language on containers/roads signs/advertisements and such. Killing the standing culture for another (that doesn't even live here). You can be darned sure, if they ever succeed, I'm still going to use Fahrenheit, US miles, inches, fluid ounces, US gallons, and Americanized English. If I wanted to use other forms of measurement and take in another culture, I'd move to another country. Live and let live. Hahaha, you do realize this culture you're not wanting to leave has evolved over the years, and very much so not the culture native to North America?

05-15-2021, 01:47 PM	#73
bertwert Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Golden, BC Posts: 15,172	Originally posted by Serkevan AFAIK, those laws exist in several places in Europe... or at least, the price per unit (volume, mass, unit itself) is always there. But then again we're crazy people who put the actual money you have to pay as the price, no need to calculate taxes . Here, many stores have price per [volume/mass/unit] which is quite convenient - if there isn't you'll certainly see me in the aisle staring into space as I do some mental arithmetic

05-15-2021, 02:09 PM - 1 Like	#74
StiffLegged Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2018 Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,635	Originally posted by bertwert ...you'll certainly see me in the aisle staring into space as I do some mental arithmetic And here was me thinking these photos were of some simple soul bemused at the sheer variety on sale: well, well!

05-15-2021, 02:39 PM	#75
mee Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 7,403	Originally posted by slartibartfast01 Of course. How could I forget the wall. The one in York or Chester?